The OSS in Another World
by paomayo
Summary: While the war in the European front is coming to an end, the Office of Strategic Services, the Allied intelligence branch, has one last job to do before the threat of the German war machine can be eliminated. And a new battlefield in the new world is the place to do.
1. Chapter 1 - Before the Show

_All trademarks and properties are part of their respective owners_

 **(London - April 21, 1945, 2203 hrs.)**

The pub at night was filled with an increasingly cheerful atmosphere as many soldiers were taking drinks, chatting with one another, and sharing stories of glorious and heroic acts on the battlefields. With the war slowly closing in on Hitler's doorstep, it's only a matter of time before his Third Reich becomes a shattered dream. One soldier, a paratrooper, was having a round of rum at the bar when another came to his side.

"Hey Travers, what ya' doin'?" He asked.

"Uh, nothing Cross." Travers answered with a calm tone. "Just relaxing myself with a shot."

"Well, we did it man. Hitler is losing everything he's got." Cross commented on the Germans' shocking losses. "And their fancy toys are getting more expensive and rare. I heard from the guys that the Russians were the first to ever knock on Berlin's doors."

"That's good news. Without Hitler in the picture, I would be going to New York and do a little walk in the town in summer."

The other paratrooper patted Travers' back.

"Just relax a little more." His friend continued chatting. "At least you have some very epic moments."

"Like the flak tower I blew up?" Travers replied while remembering his last mission, which, although costly, became one of the final nails of the Nazi's coffin. "It was all hell. Lots of enemies back there. Elite troopers with MG42s, Panzerschrecks and snipers crowded the place, plus some very good AA weapons on top."

"Huhuh."

"And I have to blow up the entire place when our demo team was gunned down."

The colleague nodded and he began to get the attention of the bartender.

"One rum please." He requested and the bartender began to make his order. Once he got the shot, he began to turn back to Travers.

"To everyone we met and fought together?" Cross asked.

"To everyone we met and fought together." Travers answered before making a toast and drink.

As the tune of the piano kept on playing, merrymaking was still going on.

 **(Office of Strategic Services, London branch - April 22, 1945, 0203 hrs.)**

At the headquarters, officers were busy with their work. Some would go to offices to send information while others are busy decoding it. Today will be a shocker as one officer is carrying information of special interest to the superiors. Once he reached the office of Colonel Richard Balton, he knocked on the door.

"Excuse me, Colonel Balton?" He asked. "Requesting permission to enter."

"Come on in." Balton agreed.

"Thank you, sir." The officer entered the room and both men saluted. Balton was waiting to hear the report.

"What is it that you got, Lieutenant Rolando?" Balton asked.

"Sir, you're not going to beleive this." Rolando explained. "We have disocvered a tunnel 10 miles northeast of Regensburg, on a facility with a runway and underground motor pool. We don't know where it leads, but we have to assume it could lead to somewhere not on any of our existing maps."

"And what do you think the place is?"

"That's why we need to assemble a small team to investigate." Rolando suggested. "A team of hard-earned men forged in fire that can handle the toughest of foes. I would also recommend establishing a main base and a network of small-sized ones to keep our edge."

"That's a good plan." Balton commented. "Who are going to pick for your 'small team'? The Krauts may have explored that area much further than we do."

"I'm already aware of that. The men will be ready in three hours."

"Good work, Lieutenant Rolando." Balton agreed. "I'm counting on you and your hand-picked men."

Rolando saluted before leaving.

 **(0903 hrs.)**

While strolling the riverwalks of the Thames River, Boyd was looking at the Elizabeth Tower and the Palace of Westminster that grace the city. Suddenly, a figure arrived towards Travers.

"Are you Boyd Travers?" The figured asked.

"Yes." He answered. "Why?"

"Follow me. We have a lot of explaining to do."

The two then went to a car and the figure began to drive.

"We were impressed with your combat record, so much so that it would equal that of some of Germany's best troopers." The figure commented. "The higher ups were interested with your abilities as well."

"Gee, thanks."

"Awwh, no need to thank me. I was just here to inform you that you are selected."

"Selected?" Travers felt baffled. "...by who?"

"By the OSS."

"Wait! OSS?"

"Yes." He answered. "They did select you."

Travers suddenly felt a bit uneasy.

"Suddenly it's a repeat of the Flak Tower again."

 **(Office of Strategic Services, London branch - 1117 hrs.)**

When the two men arrived at the building, Travers kept quiet as the OSS officer led him to the briefing room. On the way there, Travers saw many personnel doing their work. After a few minutes of walking, they arrived at the room where three more men stood up saluting once they entered. Surprisingly, his friend Cross was with them. Travers and the officer saluted back in response.

"Please be seated."

Travers joined up with the other soldiers as the officer stood up beside a mesh screen. He then quietly got Cross' attention.

"You're with them too?" Travers asked him quietly.

"Yeah, I was." Cross whispered back. "Good to see you again."

Travers nodded before the officer began to talk.

"Good morning, gentlemen." He welcomed the team. "Now I know most of you are wondering why are we in a building while Germany is crumbling towards Berlin. I have the answer."

"Proceed, sir." One of them agreed.

"Okay then."

The projector turned on to reveal some information.

"Eighteen hours ago, our troops have spotted a tunnel in a medium-sized Geman base, 10 miles northeast of Regensburg. We are still determining where it leads and we don't know how extensive German activity is on the other side. But we have to assume it could be heavy. That's why we picked you people: Boyd Travers, James Patterson, Harvey Erston and Gallahand Cross."

The men then stood up.

"Sir, we are ready to undertake the mission." Patterson answered. "We'll be deployed in three days time."

"Good, 'cause we will be letting you freely select your weapons and equipment; rifles, anti-tank rockets, whatever you need for your operation. We're counting on you."

"Sir, yes sir!" The men shouted.

 **(Near Regensburg - April 25, 1945, 0703 hrs.)**

In the suspected site, the four men were waiting for an officer and an available truck to pick them up towards the tunnel. Patterson began to talk to Harvey.

"I heard that you were part of the covert sniper force, am I right?" Patterson asked.

"Yes, sir." Harvey responded. "Took part in the Ardennes, protecting the trenches from enemy snipers and provided relief."

"Humm. That's an achievement. Even the snow doesn't bother you." Harvey nodded.

"The only thing bothering me is just the artillery shells and bombs. That's all."

Patterson then turned his attention to Gallahand.

"How about you, Gallahand?"

"I was with Travers here." Gallahand explained. "We first undertook our service in Adanti in Italy."

"I heard. The AA guns were a pain in the back if we leave it alone."

Gallahand nodded before Travers joined in.

"We also took part in D-Day and Market Garden." Travers explained. "I was separated from Gallahand when I took part in the paradrop near and on the Flak Tower in Germany."

Patterson nodded.

"Any elite soldiers you have encountered, Mr. Travers?"

"Yes sir. The Nazi's Storm Elite is one example."

"Yikes! Those guys are walking tanks."

"Don't worry, sir. I took care of them."

"Whew!" Patterson sighed. Suddenly, the officer came.

"May I interrupt your chatter for a while?" He asked.

"You may, sir." Harvey agreed.

The officer began to tell them something.

"Listen, not only you are chosen to go there but also some of the best in the army and the air force. Germany may have everything to use, so those guys are useful should you need help. A base is recently established on the other side for convenience. Alright, hop on-board and let's go."

"Yes, sir." The men replied.

They then board the back of the truck before it begins it's journey. The truck moved towards the tunnel and when it entered, it's dark and the light from the entrance slowly faded. After a while, they exited the tunnel and the men were awed by the scenery of mountains and green plains, not counting the numerous planes, tents, tanks and other vehicles being transported. They left the truck soon after.

"This is heaven." Travers commented. "I could totally move in here."

"You sure?" Harvey responded. "Not with the threat of the Krauts looming above us."

"Enough you two." Patterson talked. "Let's go."

The two nodded and the four men, alongside a couple of others, followed the officer to the makeshift briefing room.

"Gentlemen, welcome to the new world." The officer said. "Now I know that the scenery is nice but we have some important matters to attend. We are standing in a hill named 'Alnus' by the locals. And by that I mean some of our men have encountered the inhabitants at nearby villages during our early recon missions. Then, there is this."

He then showed what looks like an ancient Roman helmet.

"A helmet?" Gallahand asked.

"Yes, a helmet. We found this while constructing our base. It looks like the Germans came here recently and decided to split up so as to not be captured. We also presumed that there is another tunnel like this, but we have no evidence so far."

"So, what now, sir?" Patterson asked.

"In two hours, you will be taking a small convoy consisting of three Stuart light tanks, three trucks and two AA half-tracks to investigate the nearby areas. Men, good luck and Godspeed."

The men stood up and saluted.

 **(On the other side - 1008 hrs.)**

In the armory, Harvey and Travers are picking their weapons and supplies.

"I need a Thompson and a Garand." Travers requested. "Also three frag grenades."

"Springfield for me." Harvey followed. "And a Karabiner."

"I'll be processing your request." The manager accepted. "Wait here."

The manager left to get the weapons, so Harvey decided to engage in a chat while the men wait.

"Travers, I got your back." He assured the paratrooper. "I could also relay some info if you need it."

"I appreciate it Harvey." Travers agreed. "By the way, I'm also a good sniper."

"That makes us great teammates. If we want to clear out enemies, we can do this faster. The Krauts won't know what hit them."

"Yeah." Then the manager arrived with the requested weapons.

"Here you go, you two." The manager said.

"Thanks." Harvey replied.

"Welcome, sir."

Harvey and Travers left with the weapons.

"Alright, man. Let's go." Harvey encouraged.

They then went to Patterson and Gallahand who are waiting at a truck.

"All set?" Patterson asked and the troops nodded.

"Good. Let's roll out!"

The two Stuarts at the front moved first, followed by the trucks, the M15 and M16 AA half-tracks and the other Stuart at the back. As they leave the safety of the base, the men were praying and hoping that they can get home alive.

"Please, get us home safe." Travers prayed quietly while moving, knowing that the Germans are in the other world.

 _A/N : The fanfic is a little reconnection with the game Medal of Honor: Airborne in my PC, now that I decided to play in hard difficulty._

 _As for the story, action will arrive. And someone will be by Travers' side._


	2. Chapter 2 - Journey towards The Beast

**(On the other side - April 25, 1945, 1130 hrs.)**

More than an hour after leaving the base, the Allied convoy are moving towards unexplored territory in an effort to gain more knowledge of the terrain. As the convoy kept on moving, some decided to talk while a soldier began playing the harmonica to fill the almost annoying atmosphere of engines running with the pleasant tunes from his mouth.

In the middle of the drive, Travers was telling his story to his fellow soldiers.

"...and then, that Nazi took out almost all of our guys as if he's invincible." He told them while reminiscing a sabotage operation. "I know. I was almost swiss-cheesed by the chainsaw."

"You managed to fight back?" Gallahand asked.

"I did. After some shots from my BAR, then that guy was done for."

"Seeing that you managed to take out an armored train almost single-handedly, I could say that I impressed with you, Mr. Travers." Patterson commented. "I would recommend you to the agency if you are qualified. There are some guys who are just like you."

"I would rather pass this." Travers declined. "I mean, I am part of the OSS, but only for this one though."

"Okay then. Your loss."

"No, sir. Just wanted to live a peaceful life again."

Just then, the driver got their attention.

"Guys, we just found something."

"Stop here." Patterson requested.

The convoy stopped after being radioed and Patterson decided to send his team to investigate.

"Men, let's get out of the truck. There is something up ahead."

"Yes, sir." Harvey responded and the three soldiers followed him.

They walked away from the convoy towards a small village. When they arrived, the inhabitants were surprised to see them as if they are strangers. Harvey decided to calm them down with some encouragement and they listened.

"You sure are a cheerful person." Gallahand commented.

"Yeah." Harvey replied. "I've been doing that ever since someone was scared of going towards the sea on a boat."

"Let me guess, Lusitania?" Travers asked while referring to the ship that sank during the Great War.

"Yeah."

The inhabitants, like the mother and her daughter the men first encountered, eventually accepted the soldiers as friends and some decided to talk about the new and friendly strangers. Some decided to play with them in games like tag. Patterson, meanwhile, talked to the village chief with the help of a translator about where they are now and what happened in the last few weeks. He then went to the three colleages to tell them the information.

"Anything, chief?" Gallahand asked.

"Yes, I do." Patterson answered. "According to the village chief, we are in a small settlement known as Coda Village. Also, he said that there a number of lords who went to Alnus with their armies, our base's current location, for some sort of battle. He mentioned that almost all of them never came back."

"You think it has something to do with the Germans and that helmet that was shown earlier?" Harvey asked as well.

"That's likely. I mean...just before the base was even established, the engineers found some pieces of body armor riddled with bullets, around the same shape as a MG42 round."

"Ouch. That's gotta hurt for the local armies." Travers commented. "And I think that we are in a land similar to the time of the ancient Romans."

"Your mind serves you well, Mr. Travers."

"Thank you, sir."

"Anyway, our next stop will be another village far from here." Patterson announced their next stop. "Let's get back to the convoy."

The men said their goodbyes to the villagers as they left for the next destination. As the convoy moved for some time, more talking was held. When sunset was on the horizon, the team decided to set-up camp for the night. A campfire was already lit as the soldiers gathered to share the common meal and drink. Travers was eating at a stool when Gallahand arrived to eat with him.

"How are you doing here?" Gallahand asked.

"I'm fine." Travers replied. "Why?"

"Remember what you said about us being in a Roman-like land? I'm starting to feel sorry for those folks here."

"That's okay. I feel the same way." Boyd patted Gallahand's back.

"Thank you. I'm glad that you are here." Travers nodded after Gallahand thanked him.

"Yeah."

Then, Boyd remembered something.

"Come, a sing-along is about to begin." Travers told Gallahand.

"I'm with ya', bud." The duo then joined the others as the sing-along began.

 **(Senate building - 2103 hrs.)**

The senate was in a meeting that discusses the threat of an unknown army that devastated their own forces weeks earlier. Suddenly, a scout arrived with new information.

"I have brought disturbing news for you." The scout announced.

"Please bring your presence before the mercy of His Majesty Molt Sol Augustus." The army chief demanded and the scout complied.

"What news have you brought before us?" The emperor asked.

"Your Majesty, we have reports of another faction that arrived at Alnus five days ago." The scout reported his findings. "They are similar to the ones we encountered; however, they are wearing green and they have different iron elephants and eagles. Their symbols are different as well."

"Have you managed to get close to them?"

"No, Your Majesty. So far, we didn't attack them and we still need to get closer safely."

"Then tell your men to do it!" The emperor shouted.

"Rrrrrr...rrright away, Your Majesty!" The scout replied in fear before leaving. The emperor put his hand on his head expressing disappointment.

"Argh. When can we ever get those pests?"

Just then, a red-haired figure arrived. This caught the emperor's attention.

"Uh...Piña?"

"Please! Tell me what is going on!" She requested

The emperor felt stressed, so he did a few breaths before revealing the answer.

"Daughter, I hate to say this but..."

"What?" Piña frantically asked. "What is it?"

"...another army has appeared before the gate in Alnus." He continued. "But they don't look like the ones we saw earlier."

"You mean like the ones with the 'iron crosses'?"

"Likely, but their symbols are very different."

"Huh?"

"They also wore green in their clothing. Something is not right."

Then, Piña thought of an idea.

"If that's the case, I'm going to meet them personally." She said.

"You sure? Don't you even saw the magic those pests unleashed against us?"

"No. But I have to try. Even my knights will."

Initially, Emperor Molt was against the idea, but he decided to give it a go.

"Alright, then." The emperor agreed. "Do whatever you like."

"Thank you, father." She expressed her gratitude.

"Don't fail the Empire, or you will suffer."

"We will. We'll do our best."

The princess left the room to meet up with her knights. She then prepared to march towards the newcomers.

 **(On the road - April 26, 1945, 0648 hrs.)**

The convoy continued moving along the path to the next settlement. The drivers were calmly riding along the road and after a short while, the were a little far away from the campsite. Suddenly, a roar was heard.

"RRRRRROOOOOOOAAAARRRRR!"

"What the hell was that?" The driver felt surprised and decided to inform Patterson.

"Chief, ya' hear that?"

"Yeah, we heard that too." Patterson replied. "It's some sort of dragon roar."

As the driver turned his head, he was surprised to see a fire dragron breathing out fire onto a nearby forest.

"Holy cow! That's one mad dragon!"

Patterson began to order his men to arm their weapons.

"Arm your weapons!"

"Weapon's hot!" Another soldier echoed and they complied.

"Get me a radio and tell the tanks and AA to be ready!"

The tanks began to load their armor-piercing shells inside the barrel. After a few seconds, one of the Stuarts radioed back.

"Gun loaded and ready to fire!" The tank commander said.

Just then, the dragon flew off the burned area.

"Strange. It just left." The driver observed.

"Wha..?" Patterson felt baffled. "So soon already?"

"I don't know. We have to check the burned area."

"Right. Men, let's move out!"

"Yes, sir!"

The infantry began to move out of the truck as the convoy maintained a safe distance while following the foot soldiers. When they reached the burned area, all they can see is nothing but scorched ground and trees. Patterson began to think of something when he found a well in the distance.

"Do you think we are in some sort of village?" Patterson asked.

"Well, judging by that well over there, I think we are in a village, sir." Harvey answered.

"Okay then. Everyone, find any survivors. I also need someone to radio HQ for three more trucks and a Sherman should we find some."

"Copy, sir." An OSS soldier responded and left to man the radio.

The men searched in the ruble as they look for any villagers that are alive.

"This is unreal." Harvey commented while lifting the debris. "Why would a dragon just randomly burn down a village when there is possibly no wrongdoing on their part?"

"Don't know." A fellow soldier replied while doing the same. "Guess someone forgot to check on it during it's dinner."

As Patterson was clearing out the debris, he found what looks like a burned arm. This shocked him.

"Oh my...this isn't happening. Dammit!"

"Lieutenant." A soldier called him. "What did you see?"

"It's a burned arm."

"What the..."

Another soldier came to report their findings.

"Sir, we found some bodies on our part." Corporal McCann reported. "Looks like there are trapped in the burning rubble."

"Alright. We need a proper burial. I need an assessment on what building they are like."

As the men began to retrieve more bodies from the rubble, a soldier came after doing the assessment.

"Sir, judging by what we can analyze, we believe that the buildings are up to 10 stories high, enough for probably up to 2 families." The soldier reported.

"Thank you." Patterson replied. "Now if you excuse me, I have to take a moment of silence to clear out the nightmares out of my mind."

The soldier nodded and continued the search. At the well, Travers and Gallahand began to fetch some water.

"You think this is enough?" Travers asked his friend.

"Well, what do you think?" Gallahand followed. "There is still some fires burning on."

"Guess we need some fetching to do."

As they began to lower the bucket, the men slowly release the rope to control the speed. When they felt that the rope is just moving but not the bucket itself, they were confused.

"Weird." Gallahand commented. "The bucket just stopped moving. I can feel it."

"So do I." Travers followed. "Maybe it's blocked"

They decided to look below the well to see the obstruction.

"Travers, flashlight." Gallahand got the flashlight and turned it on. When the soldiers found someone below, they were shocked.

"Is that a girl?" Gallahand asked.

"Looks like it." Travers answered. "And she's unconscious!"

Travers began to shout for help.

"Hey! We have a survivor!"

"Survivor?" Patterson wondered as the men began to close in on Travers and Gallahand's position. He also went to check on them.

"Let me see!" When he found her, he was shocked.

"Holy...get me a rope!"

The men fetched a rope for him and once he got hold, he gave it to Travers.

"Here you go."

"Thanks." Travers used one end of the rope while some of his fellow soldiers hold the other as Travers began his descent to the bottom of the well where the girl is floating unconsciously. Once he grabbed hold of her, he nodded to signal his colleagues to pull the two up. A stretcher with a medic was on stand-by as he laid her on it.

"There you go." He quietly said to her.

"D...d...dad..." Travers was surprised by what the girl said while her eyes are closed.

"It's gonna be okay." Travers assured her as the medic began to check on her. "It's gonna be okay. It's gonna be okay."

He then informed Patterson on the status of the survivor.

"Sir, we have the girl on the stretcher." Travers reported.

"Good." Patterson nodded. "Because we have to get out of here immediately."

"What?!"

"The entire village is razed to the ground. There are no more survivors other than her, so I thought some might have managed to flee. And that dragon would be on our tail if we just sit here for too long."

"But...sir!"

"No buts! If you want to help people, we need to go with whatever we can find!"

"I...I...I understand sir." Travers expressed some anger while he was forced to accept the harsh reality.

"I'm sorry." Patterson apologized. "There is nothing we can do. We have to move now."

Gallahand and Harvey arrived.

"Man, what's going on?" Gallahand asked Travers.

"It's not your fault." Harvey tried to comfort him. "We wanted to help too, but the dragon is looming over us. Even the Germans would attack without warning."

"I'm fine." Travers gave a tepid response. "I just need to calm down."

As the convoy begins it's trip home, Patterson ordered the men to get back to the trucks.

"Everyone, we have to move now!" He shouted as they boarded the trucks. When they are inside, the convoy left. Travers felt scarred by the devastation, even more so than during his parachuting operations.

"What are we facing?" Travers said in his mind. "Suddenly, the creatures in fairy tales are becoming a reality."

As the convoy exited the forest, a girl weaing a black dress and wielding a halberd was in a distance witnessing the OSS operatives leaving the area.

"Ooooohhhh." She expressed her fascination while she moved her tongue over her red lips. "What do we have here? Another of those strange people have arrived, eh?"

The sound of the crows then filled the air around her.

 _A/N: Now that the finding bits are covered, the next thing that the OSS will face is a dragon. Plus, a big find will surprise every soldier._

 _To fully clarify, some of the weapons will be in fully upgraded form like in Airborne, but a few will be in original form. The Thompson, for example, is not like the one used in crime films with its drum magazine and grip holder._

 _Anyway, see ya._


	3. Chapter 3 - Finest Hour in the New World

**(Outside Coda Village - April 26, 1945, 1005 hrs.)**

The OSS convoy was approaching the outskirts of the village after hours of driving in the countryside. All the team can recover is one young girl who survived the devastation unleashed by the dragon in the forest settlement. Travers was still scarred by what happened and Patterson is starting to feel uneasy as well.

"Do you think he'll be okay?" Gallahand asked Harvey.

"He will." He replied. "He just needs some time to...get rid of the nightmare out of his head."

The two soldiers nodded just as Patterson bowed his head.

"Maybe I'm starting to regret that decision." Patterson quietly admitted. "Travers was right."

The team reached the village where, surprisingly, a Sherman medium tank and three trucks were there. Some knew that they are the reinforcements Patterson requested since they can hear him earlier. As well, the kids were curious about the tank.

"Look, the kids are looking at that tank." Harvey said while pointing at them.

"I wonder how this thing works." One of them expressed his curiosity.

"Don't know." Another replied. "But that nose doesn't bend."

"It feels a bit hot." A girl followed while touching the armor. "Ah, it feels warm."

While the kids continue to look at the wonder of the new vehicle, Patterson left to meet the village chief with their report.

"Encountered...dragon." Patterson explained while trying to use the local language. "...burned down...village..."

"Oh my..." The chief expressed his shock. "This is not good."

"One...survivor...found."

"Mind if we check on the survivor?" The chief asked before Patterson nodded.

They then went to the survivor who is still in the truck. To his surprise, the chief discovered that the survivor is an elf.

"You brought an elf here?"

"Wha..." The men in green were in shock. "...an elf?!"

"Could you...let her stay?" One of the OSS operatives asked.

"I'm afraid not." The chief expressed disappointment. "Her customs are different compared to ours, so she should go to an elven village. Besides, we have to evacuate the village immediately."

"...evacuate?"

"Yes. Once the fire dragon smelled the taste of either human or elven blood, it will continue to destroy every village in its path. We have to move!"

Immediately after, he told the villagers that a dragon is on their way. They soon began to move fast in order to get out of the village for safety. Carts began to appear to carry their belongings with them. An examlpe of which is a family of three who are carrying items for an inn.

"Let's get moving people!" The lady encouraged with an energetic spirit.

"Yes sir!" Her family shouted back with some crates.

Patterson began to assemble his men for a field briefing.

"Alright, men. Listen up, we have a fire dragon that is coming our way and you know that bullets are gonna fly. If we want to get the villagers to safety, I would advise every man to help with the evacuation. Our tanks and AA guns will provide cover fire on the way to the next village. We also need to be prepared for any hostile contacts. Are we clear?"

"Sir, yes sir!" The men shouted in unison.

"Let's get moving!" Patterson shouted as well and the men began to help the villagers escape.

Travers and Gallahand are helping one family carry their belongins to their cart. While doing so, the husband uttered something.

"I hope Master Kato and Lelei are hearing this."

"Excuse me." Travers politely requested. "Who are they?"

"They are the sorcerers of our village." He explained. "They are, sort of, our guardians who protected our village from disasters."

"I see." Travers continued to help.

"Hey, if you think that the sorcerers are aware of this, don't you think that they could be preparing to leave with us?" Gallahand asked.

"You can understand them, Gallahand?"

"Yeah. Surprisingly, so do you."

"Gee, thanks."

"Hey, you're starting to feel a little better." Gallahand noticed that Travers is slightly cheering himself up.

"Yeah. At least I'm helping people." Travers let out a slight smile.

"Let's go meet with the sorcerers before we have to move out." Gallahand suggested. "I'll ask Patterson about this."

After helping the family and obtaining permission from Patterson, the two men and the husband began to use a truck to meet up with the magicians on the outskirts of the city. When they saw the house beside a waterfall, the husband got out of the truck after stopping.

"This is their home." The husband showed the house. "Come, follow me."

Travers and Gallahand got out of the truck as well to meet up with him. When they reached the door, the man knocked on the door. A female voice can be heard.

"Who is it?"

"Lelei, It's me, Reingar." He replied. "We need to urgently see your master."

"I'm coming." The lady opened the door to reveal herself as a young girl in her teens with light blue or aqua hair and eyes.

"Thank you for hearing me out, Lelei." Reingar uttered. "We need to get out of here."

"What?" An old man's voice asked before reaching the doorway. "What's all the ruckus about?"

"Master Kato, we need to evacuate the village."

"Wha...?! Is that the dragon again?"

"Yes, Master. It's coming this way."

"Why? Why does it had to appear so early?!" Kato expressed his frustration. "I can't believe it!"

"Master, he's right." Lelei tried to explain the situation. "There's a threat looming over the village. We need to go."

"But...our books! What about our books?!"

"We must prioritize the most important ones." Lelei suggested. "That way, we can keep the cart as light as possible."

"Uh...right." Kato agreed and so, they began to bring their most important items into their cart.

"By the way, who are you people?" Lelei asked the green men.

"I'm Boyd Travers." The first one answered.

"And I'm his friend, Gallahand Cross." The second followed.

After a while, they are ready to leave.

"Excuse me, Master Kato?" Travers asked him. "Isn't your stuff a little too heavy for your cart to carry?"

"Why are you asking?" The sorcerer asked back.

"Well, you're gonna be stuck after a little while if you don't move." Gallahand explained.

"Ah, no need to worry." Lelei signaled the donkey driving the cart to move but it couldn't.

"Uh, it's stuck." The master observed with confusion.

"They warned you." Lelei rebuked him. "They knew what's going to happen."

"Ah, no need to worry." He assured her. "I can get us out of here with our magic."

"Isn't magic sacred?" Lelei reminded him. "You said it is precious. It can't be abused. However, since we have no choice..."

She summoned her magic using her staff and the cart floated. This amazed the men in green.

"Would you look at that." Gallahand commented. "Magic is real...at least in here."

The men began to return to the village with the truck. Kato and Lelei followed them as well.

"I wonder how that cart runs without horses." Kato thought. "It's unusual."

"I don't sense magic in the cart." Lelei observed. "They must have figured out a way to do it."

"Listen. Sorry about eariler." He apologized.

"That's okay. I know that's how you do."

After a little while, the small convoy reached Coda Village.

"Well, we're here." Kato declared.

Just then, some villagers arrived.

"Master, Lelei, we need help!" One of them pleaded. "We have a broken cart here and a little girl is injured!"

The two agreed and found the injured girl lying on the ground.

"There she is!" Kato said.

"Lieutenant, do we have an available medic?" One of the men in green shouted. "We have an injured girl here!"

"We have!" Another replied. "I'll bring him here right away!"

"Thank you, sir!"

"Get the tanks out of the village, ASAP!" A third one shouted.

"More of those men in green again." Kato observed.

"What do they mean on 'tank'?" Lelei wondered before a man with a box and a helmet with two red crosses appeared.

"Let me see here." The man began to examine her.

"This is no good." He observed. "I need a stretcher!"

He brought the girl out of the wrecked cart. Just then, the horse began to behave wildly, shocking Kato and Lelei. Just then, one of the same guys from earlier pulled out a contraption, pulled the trigger and small lights began to pierce the flesh of the horse. It gushed out blood before lying to the ground.

"Are you okay, Master?" Travers asked.

"Yeah." Lelei replied. "Thank you."

"Nice shot with that pistol." Cross commented before Travers nodded.

Lelei and Kato then wondered about their new friends.

"Those men..." Lelei tried to wonder.

"...they saved us." Kato finished.

 **(On the road - 1309 hrs.)**

The villagers then followed the OSS convoy to the next village. Although it will take a long time due to the carts, the assistance of the tank and half-track units provided protection aside from the soldiers.

"Well Travers, looks like we have done it." Harvey commented. "We may have even saved an entire village."

"I know." Travers replied. "But if I ever cross paths with that dragon again, I'm gonna finish him."

"You still had some memories of that elven village, I see." Gallahand followed.

"Yeah. When I first rescued her, I heard her say 'dad', even with her eyes closed. It looks like she may have lost her father."

"I see." Gallahand expressed some sadness.

"We'll take that damn thing down together." Harvey assured. "You can count on us."

Just then, Patterson spoke.

"Listen, Mr. Travers." Patterson said. "I'm sorry if we had to move out of the elven village so soon. You're right. Maybe we should have stayed there a little longer to be sure survivors are still there. Please accept this."

It took a while before Travers decided to accept it.

"Apology accepted, sir."

Patterson felt much better after that while the convoy continued moving. He then began to tell his men what the reinforcements have brought.

"Listen, the guys brought us some boxes of Gammon grenades for us to use should a Kraut tank ever appear." He explained while showing a green case full of those deadly grenades.

"Thank you, sir." Harvey replied.

"However, for safety and supply reasons, the higher ups has rationed these things to one per soldier. Make them count."

The men nodded.

 **(1330 hrs.)**

For a while, it was smooth sailing for the villagers and the convoy. Just then, the lead Stuart stopped moving, prompting the others to do the same.

"Why did we stopped?" Harvey wondered.

"Weird." Lelei did the same. "We're not moving."

"Already?" Kato asked. "If that's the case, let's take some rest."

Patterson began to use the radio to call the lead tank.

"Give me a sitrep."

"Lieutenant, we spotted two objects, 500 meters ahead of us." The tank commander reported.

"Affirmative. We'll investigate."

Patterson and his team moved out of the truck to check the suspected objects. When they reached them, they were surprised.

"Holy smoke!" Harvey exclaimed. "Those are Panzer IIs!"

"Sure is." Patterson agreed. "Probably scouts."

Gallahand began to wonder about the damage the tanks sustained.

"Even stranger than the tanks, check out the damage."

The men began to look at the strange damage patterns, which surprised them even more.

"Look at that." Travers observed. "The damage marks look like they were slashed."

"Yeah." Patterson followed while examining them. "It doesn't look like some tank round just punched through the armor and the exploding ammunition went out on the side. This is weird."

"Even more weird is that the are no burn marks." Harvey followed. "It looks like one direct slash killed most of the crew."

The men nodded in agreement before they began to leave. Just then, crows filled the air with their call.

"Why are there so many crows today?" Travers wondered.

"Do they think we have corn?" Gallahand joked before the laughter of a young girl filled the air.

"Hehehehehe!"

"Wha...?" It didn't take long before the men found a girl with a halberd sitting on one of the Panzers.

"What the...what are you doing here?" Patterson asked.

"The question is what are you doing?" The girl asked.

"Nothing." Travers responded. "We are just bringing the villagers to safety."

Travers then pointed at the convoy where the villagers are part of. The strange girl decided to walk towards it while being awed by the tanks and trucks.

"I wonder how those things work." The girl said to herself before licking her lips.

One of the Stuart tank commanders popped outside to look at the surroundings before seeing the girl looking closely at his own tank. Just before she decided to check on the trucks, he called Patterson.

"Hey, Lieutenant! What is a girl with an axe doing over here?"

"Don't know." Patterson replied. "She just surprised us for a moment there."

The tank commander looked back before the villagers rushed towards the girl. He was baffled while hearing the calls of the people.

"It's the oracle!" One of the kids shouted. "She's here!"

"The oracle!"

"What?"

The crowd gathered around her for some sort of prayer, which the commander overheard.

"There was a fire dragon rampaging an elven village." An old lady told her. "That is why we have to flee."

"The men in green were here to help us." A man followed.

When Patterson's team returned, the commander began to explain what happened.

"Sir, from what I heard from the villagers back there, and considering the clothes she's wearing...I'm guessing she may be of religious importance."

"You sure?" Patterson asked to confirm.

"Yeah." The commander nodded.

Further back, the girl began to ask some questions.

"How do those things worked?"

"We don't know." The kid replied. "But some of us rode in those things and boy they are much more comfy than our carts."

This made the girl wanting to ride one.

"I wonder how does it feel to ride it."

When Patterson and his men returned to the trucks, she began to ask.

"Would it be fine if I ride with you?"

"Uhh...we have a truck for you to use if you want." Gallahand said but the girl seems to be fixed on the truck she's standing beside with.

 **(Roche Hill - 1501 hrs.)**

They then reached the dessert-like landscape of Roche Hill. While moving, the girl with the halberd sat on top of Travers' legs, much to the disappointment of the latter.

"This is not happening." Travers said. "I have to let her sit on my lap just for trying to ride on a truck?"

"Well, she does like it though." Harvey commented. "Once we reached the village, I'm pretty sure she will disembark."

"Yeah."

The girl giggled slightly while enjoying the trip on a truck.

"By the way, do you think that she is the one responsible for destroying those Panzers back there?" Gallahand asked Patterson.

"It could be." Patterson nodded in agreement. "If I had to guess, I would say that her halberd destroyed those tanks."

They nodded in agreement. Just then, a familiar roar was heard.

"RRRRRROOOOOOOAAAARRRRR!"

"Wait a minute, that roar." Travers thought. "Is that..."

A radio began to pick-up a transmission from one of the tanks.

"Sir, we have a fire dragon approching at our eleven o'clock, 1000 meters away!"

"Damn that thing!" Patterson cursed. "All units, open fire on that dragon!"

"Affirmative!"

"All units, arm your weapons!" Patterson ordered his men. "Let's end that monster!"

"Yes sir!" They shouted before arming their weapons.

The AA half-tracks and tanks began to open fire at the beast with their armor-piercing ammunition while the infantry stepped outside to fire their weapons. Patterson began to radio the Stuarts.

"I need the available Stuarts to distract the dragon while we set-up a rolling defensive position."

"Copy, Lieutenant!" The commander agreed.

As the light tanks began to maneuver, the lone Sherman launched a round at the dragon, where a small dent is made.

"Confirmed hit!" The Sherman commander confirmed. "I repeat! Confirmed hit!"

The infantry began to fire at the dragon with their sub-machine guns, rifles and automatic rifles.

"This is not good!" Travers commented. "The dragon is getting angrier with every shot we fired!"

"Yeah!" Gallahand agreed. "It's just like Normandy!"

"You remember that mission way well!"

"Guys, we need to find it's blind spot!" Harvey suggested. "That way we can line our tanks for a shot!"

"Great idea!" Travers agreed. "But we have to let the Stuarts keep distracting for a while!"

As if the OSS has the upper hand, the dragon swing its tail to knock one of the Stuarts out.

"Dammit! We lost one of the Stuarts!" A soldier observed.

Then, the dragon stomped on the front of another Stuart to render it inoperable.

"There goes another one!" Gallahand followed.

Suddenly, the dragon set its sights on the villagers. It walked towards them before unleashing its fire breath. Cries and screams can be heard.

"This isn't happening!" A soldier uttered. "This isn't happening!"

"Keep moving, soldiers!" Patterson ordered.

The lone Stuart tries to distract the dragon once more. Then, the elf woke up and found Travers with his Thompson.

"Wha...what are you doing here?!"

The elf girl then pointed at her eyes. It didn't take long before Travers can understand what she meant. Then, he went to Patterson.

"Sir, target the eyes!" Travers requested. "We're going to blind that monster!"

"Good idea!" Patterson agreed. "Anything else?"

"I need the two cases of Gammon grenades!"

"What?!"

"Trust me, sir!"

It took Patterson a while before he decided to agree.

"Alright. Be careful."

Travers nodded and he ran off towards the dragon. Patterson then radioed the mechanized and foot units.

"To any surviving allied infantry, tanks and vehicles, aim for its eyes!"

Gallahand and Harvey then wondered what Travers is doing.

"Great, now where is he going with those Gammon grenades?!" Gallahand wondered.

"He's gonna kill it with a big bang." Harvey answered.

"What?!"

Travers puts himself in the line of fire as the allied forces concentrated their fire on the eyes. A few bullets and shells then got a hit.

"One eye taken out!" A soldier reported before the Sherman took out the other.

"Another is useless!" The commander followed.

Then, Travers was near the beast and began to wonder how to get up there while carrying the grenades and some pieces of rope and sticky tape.

"Now what? It's too damn high."

Then, the girl from earlier reached.

"Mind if I give you a lift?" She happily asked.

"Uh...sure?"

She then hugged Travers before jumping high.

"Whhhooooooaaaaaa! That's too unhuman!"

Once they reached the head, the girl jumped away from him while he does his job.

"Now she decided to wait for me downstairs." He thought. "Okay then. You can do this."

The dragon's blind movements kept Travers from fixing the grenades and its cases firmly in place. He managed to do just that before placing two time-delay Comp B charges directly on top of the grenade cases. Once armed, he jumped away from the head before the girl caught him. He landed safely with some bruises.

"You okay?" She asked.

"Yeah!" Travers replied. "I'm fine."

Shortly after, the Comp B charges detonated which, in turn, detonated the Gammon grenades. The explosive force ripped a hole at the back of the head. The dragon fell after moving around in a wobbly manner.

"The dragon is down!" The Sherman tank commander confirmed. "I repeat! The dragon is down! We finally got it!"

"We did it!" Patterson shouted. "We won!"

Every soldier cheered as the dragon is finally dead.

"Yeah!" Harvey and Gallahand shouted in unison. "Way to go, Travers!"

The villagers were also happy that the menace is dead; however, they sustained casualties.

"Quick! We need to help the villagers ASAP!" Patterson ordered and most of the men began to help.

 **(1923 hrs.)**

By nightfall, under the light of the moon in the sky and the luminous plants on the ground, the surviving OSS operatives and villagers began to honor those who lost their lives. Some soldiers performed the three-volley salute for the fallen American soldiers. Travers walked towards a child whose parents were lost.

"Mommy...daddy...I miss them!" She began to cry.

"It's okay." Travers comforted her and began to hug. "I'm with you now."

Shortly after, Patterson met with the chief for their final discussion.

"So, where are you going now?" Patterson asked.

"We will be moving on in a short while." The chief answered. "We had enough trouble for today."

"What about the other kids and some of the elderly?"

"I'm not sure if they have any relatives there. I'm afraid we can't take them."

"You sure?"

"Yes." The chief then nodded.

"If that's the case, we'll take care of them." Patterson suggested.

"Please do. For their parents and their siblings."

When the able adults and some of their kids are ready to leave, those staying with the OSS began to wave their hands and say goodbye.

"Goodbye!" Harvey and Gallahand shouted. "Take care!"

"See you soon!" Travers followed.

"Thank you!" Reingar and some of the departing party members replied.

"Goodbye!" The others followed.

When they left, Travers got a long glimpse of his team and the villagers. He then smiled at them and they did it in reply.

"Alright then, let's go." Travers declared. "We got a new home waiting for you."

Aside from the villagers, the elf girl, the sorcerers and the female 'oracle' were optimistic.

"We're with you." Patterson said to Travers as his team approached him.

"Yeah." Travers replied and nodded.

Above, a fighter of unknown nationality is flying at high altitude.

 _A/N: Now that the dragon is dealt with, the next two chapters will mainly contain more talking and less fighting in the build-up for the fight between the OSS and an unknown faction under separate German command._

 _See you later._


	4. Chapter 4 - Before the Storm

**(Near Alnus Hill - April 27, 1945, 0913 hrs.)**

The surving OSS operatives and some of the remaining villagers from Coda Village were heading towards the main base of the 'men in green' after a fierce firefight against the fire dragon. A man with a harmonica was playing in one of the trucks which caught the attention of the kids.

"Excuse me, mister." A female child asked. "What is that you are playing? It sounds nice."

"Oh, this? This is my instrument called a harmonica." The soldier answered. "I was playing a tune my mother used to teach me."

"Ooooooohhh." The kids expressed their curiosity before the man continued to play it.

In another truck, Patterson and his team were relaxing when the driver informed him.

"Sir, we are in the base's outer perimeter."

"Thank you for the announcement." Patterson replied. "I appreciate it."

The driver nodded in response. As if on cue, the sights and roars of a pair of P-38 fighters appear overhead, which caught the attention of the inhabitants.

"Wow!" One of the kids said while pointing at these birds. "Guys, take a look!"

"Whooo! Aaaaahhh!" The kids express their amazement.

"Wha...what are those?!" Kato asked while being surprised by the birds.

"I believe that was their warbirds, Master." Lelei replied after observing. "But something doesn't look right."

"You mean by their bodies?"

"Yes."

Once the convoy reached the inside of the base, the men began to disembark for a debriefing before the trucks and tanks directly head for the garage to park their vehicles. The refugees were then escorted by base personnel to vacant tents with tables and chairs where they can do their needs. At the briefing tent, Patterson and the team were sitting at their chairs when the officer came.

"Gentlemen, solid work on your recon mission back there." The officer applauded the efforts of Patterson's team. "Though you encountered unexpected threats and sustaining some casualties, you have shown bravery in the face of danger."

Patterson then stood up to report on the refugees.

"Thank you sir, but we have refugees that need help."

"You have?" The officer asked.

"Yes, sir."

"That's a plus for your team as well for handling civilians with care and priority. That would go a long way to establish our presence here."

The officer then switched to another topic.

"Anyway, another briefing will commence tomorrow at 1130 hrs. sharp." He explained. "The agency is currently in pursuit of a secret hideout somewhere deep in the Alps and we also sent a small recon squad to locate German movements here. We will be sending another agent to stay here for one week as well. Alright, dismissed."

The men stood up and saluted. Once they left, Travers was met by Patterson, Gallahand and Harvey.

"Well Travers, the refugees will be having their nice stay here for a while." Patterson said. "At least they are in the safety of the base."

"Thank you, sir." Travers replied. "We may have to find a more permanent home for them."

"I'm not sure though. Most of them are still kids and without many of their relatives, who knows what will happen to them?"

"I see."

"Lieutenant, I mean sir, who is the agent that will come here for a while?" Gallahand asked.

"I don't know." Patterson answered. "Probably someone I know."

"A lady friend?" Harvey asked. "I could tell."

"Don't tell this to everyone until the agent arrives."

"Alright. Sorry, sir." Harvey apologized.

"In the meantime you three, go meet with the refugees and know them more." Patterson suggested. "Play, converse, whatever you can do. I'll need to consult the higher ups for a sheltering plan."

"Yes sir." The soldier replied before heading for the refugees.

 **(Tavern - 1839 hrs.)**

At a tavern in another village, the patrons were eating and drinking for hours while talking about what is happening recently. The night's topic is about the fight between the fire dragon and the rumored 'men in green'.

"Someone has killed the fire dragon?" One man asked. "No way! Most of our weapons can't do that!"

"I saw that with my own eyes!" The owner tried to convince them. "The dragon's head was hit by some magical explosion and the apostle Rory saved someone after falling from the head!"

"Whaaat?!" Everyone close to the owner exclaimed. "One of the apostles of Emroy was with them?!"

Piña and some of her knights were stopping by to replenish. When they heard of what happened, the princess shrugged it. As well, the mention of the apostle's name caught the attention of all of the patrons.

"I don't believe it." Piña expressed some surprise. "No one can beat the fire dragon. Not even our army."

"That's the problem that plagues every nation, Your Highness." One of the knights named Grey responded. "However, the new army figuring out how to do it surprised me. They must have some magic with them."

"Uh, milady? Don't you think that the owner said is true?" A page named Hamilton asked. "If she said that the apostle Rory was with them, then I fear great danger for us."

"Now I'm starting to feel concerned." Piña said in anxiety before the owner arrived at their table.

"Huh, why does it feel hard to convince them of a true story?" The owner uttered.

"Excuse me, mind if you tell us what happened?" The page asked.

"I don't know. I think you people wouldn't believe me."

"I believe you." Hamilton threw three pieces of silver coins at the owner.

"Thank you, young knight!" She expressed some joy.

"Now. Can you tell us what happened?" The princess asked.

"Oh, sure!"

The owner began to tell the knights her story.

"Yesterday, we encountered a fire dragon while on our way to the next village. The men in green stepped in to take down the foul beast. After a while, I saw one of them with the apostle heading up towards the head."

"What did that figure do?" Hamilton asked.

"I don't know, but he fell then the apostle returned to rescue him. I don't know what he did up there but after a while, the head exploded in a loud bang. Some sort of explosive magic is used to take it down."

"Wha..?" The knights were in shock.

"Tell us more!" The princess frantically asked.

"The men in green have some sort of iron elephants of different shapes and sizes. They also have weapons that don't look like a sorcerer's staff. And they rode in wagons that don't need horses to move!"

"Guess that's what the army has." Grey commented. "Please tell us more about their symbols."

"There are a few symbols I saw. On their animals and wagons, they have a white star placed inside a circle. Also, the soldier's uniforms have a rectangular-shaped item with red-and-white lines and a smaller blue rectangle with white stars on it. Their uniforms also contain another symbol, but I can't describe it."

 **(Waffen S.S. base, Aiguille de la Grande Sassière - 1704 hrs.)**

At a Waffen S.S. hideout, the German soldiers were patroling the inside of the base. Suddenly, an explosion rocked the facility. Alarms were sounded and many soldiers began to arm themselves with MP40s, StG-44s and MG42s.

 _"Alert! We have intruders entering the west entrance!"_ The megaphone announced in German. _"I repeat! We have intruders entering the west entrance!"_

Some of the German were at the entrace, opening fire and taking cover from the bullets. Seven OSS operatives returned fire.

 _"Americans incoming!"_ An S.S. soldier observed. _"Open fire!"_

The OSS took cover before firing back.

"This is Lieutenant Berg, we entered the facility and are encountering stiff German resistance!" The leader of the raiding party, John Berg, reported before firing his BAR. "Moving to retrieve battle plans!"

The party then slowly cleared out the Germans as they moved along. When they encountered more of them near the command center, they fired back. One of his subordinates began to toss a grenade.

"Grenade out!" He tossed the grenade at a nearby group of Germans.

 _"Grenade!"_ The German shouted. _"Take cover!"_

Some tried to escape but it exploded, killing some Germans.

"Alright, move forward and keep fighting!" Berg ordered and his team then proceeded to the command center.

Before they can enter, some Germans arrived to retaliate but they were eliminated. The OSS stayed away from standing directly on the entrace to make sure they were not shot. The Germans inside were ready to fight back to the death.

 _"Prepare to attack!"_ A German officer ordered. _"We fight to the death!"_

Once the OSS opened the door, they threw a few grenades to clear the Germans out. Some escaped and proceeded to fight back. Berg and his team fired at the remaining Germans with their rifles. One even managed to force a German to blindly fire his MP40 before succumbing to his injuries.

"Room clear!" One OSS soldier confirmed.

"Alright guys, let's get as much files as possible before we blow this place sky high." Berg ordered.

"Yes sir." His second-in-command replied before they proceeded to get the intel.

After that, they placed some Comp B charges on critical weakpoints before leaving the base. The charges exploded, making the entire base collapse.

 **(Alnus Hill - April 28, 1945, 0634 hrs.)**

In the morning, the refugees assembled at the dining area to eat some food prepared by the soldiers. Once sitted, they began to eat their breakfast. Many were surprised by the food they saw. Some even found it delicious.

"This food is unlike anything I ever had." One kid commented. "I wonder how you prepared this."

"Well, some spices, herbs and salt and pepper." Gallahand answered. "I could teach you how to make it."

"Thank you, mister." She said before eating her soup.

"These foods are delicious!" Kato was amazed. "Excuse me, can I get some more?"

"Here you go." Travers replied with some bread and soup. "Just leave some for the others."

"Thank you!" Kato continued eating for a short while before looking at Lelei.

"How do you feel about the food?"

"It's fine, Master." Lelei replied. "These people show great charity to us."

"I hope you can keep this value in the long run." The old master reminded her before Lelei nodded.

 **(0707 hrs.)**

After the meal, the kids began playing. Travers was voluntarily peeling a crate of potatoes for the refugees' lunch. Then, the oracle arrived while sightseeing.

"What are you doing with those potatoes?" She asked.

"Just peeling them for your lunch." Travers replied. "I'm starting to feel that a bond is forging between us."

"You know, I was surprised by how you beaten the fire dragon." She commented on Travers' successful elimination of the dragon. "The armies in this world mostly cannot do it."

"You are?"

"Well, I could kill it with my halberd. But it was meant to be a test of courage for the knights."

"I see."

"Anyway, I wonder how you are able to maintain your courage in the face of danger such as this."

Travers took a while before answering.

"I can tell you. It happened more than a month ago."

 **(Flashback)**

 **(Essen - March 25, 1945)**

Travers was with some of his fellow soldiers of the 17th Airborne Division preparing to move beyond the gate towards one part of the railyard. Once it slowly opened, they can see an armoured train stopping.

"Spread out, find cover!" One soldier said.

When the American soldiers found cover, they were ready to fire.

"Get ready to fire!"

The soldiers then stared at the smoke for a moment. Then, they heard footsteps.

"What is that?" Another soldier asked.

Out of the smoke, a Nazi soldier is armed with a portable MG42. He is also wearing a mask.

 _"Destroy them all!"_ He shouted before pointing his gun.

The Americans then attempted to shoot back, but the Nazi shot them first.

"Dammit!" Travers shouted before managing to take cover just in time.

The leader of the team shot the Nazi soldier, but the bullets didn't hurt him much. In response, he shot the paratrooper dead with his machine gun. He reloaded before firing again.

"That guy is unstoppable!" Travers commented. "Think Travers, think!"

He has an idea.

"Oh, I know."

He then fired his BAR at the elite trooper before moving to another position to fire again. The Nazi then tried to shoot Travers, but after repeating the process, the elite succumbed to the bullets of a mere paratrooper.

"Alright." Travers challenged the other Germans. "Who's next?"

 **(End of flashback)**

"No wonder." The girl was amazed. "You do went through dangerous situations."

"I hope you know what I mean." Traver said to her. "By the way, what is your name? I'm Boyd Travers."

"Me? I'm the apostle of Emroy, Rory Mercury."

"Whoah. An apostle?"

"Yes." She nodded.

"Anyway, I'll see you later." Travers said to her.

"I will." Then, Rory left before Gallahand came.

"Travers, bud. How are you doing?" Gallahand asked.

"I'm fine." Travers replied. "Just talking with some person related to some god."

"Really? I didn't know that."

"Thank the Greeks for that."

 **(0918 hrs.)**

After doing his potato run, Travers went outside the base to look at the scenery where some planes grace the sky and the base dominates the landscape. Then, the elf girl arrived to see him.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

"Just looking for you." She replied. "I was about to thank you for yesterday."

"You're welcome."

She then went closer to Travers and sat shortly after.

"Still scarred by what happened, I see?" He asked regarding the destruction of the elven village.

"Yes. I can't accept what happened to my father."

Travers nodded while hearing her.

"The fire dragon attacked us without warning." She explained. "It ate and burned my friends and everyone I know. My father took me to a well and he told me to hide. That was the last time I saw him."

"I'm sorry." He apologize.

"It's okay. I have you now." The elf smiled before Travers began to leave.

"By the way, who are you?" He asked.

"Oh, just call me Tuka." She replied.

"Nice knowing you, Tuka." Travers thanked her before she nodded.

 **(1123 hrs.)**

With Patterson and his team at the briefing tent, they were waiting for the officer and the agent. A little conversation was held to pass the time.

"How are you doing with the refugees?" Harvey asked Travers. "Me and Gallahand were teaching the kids some baseball."

"I'm doing okay." Travers replied. "Who won the game?"

"Well, some kid just did a home run and the others were surprised." Gallahand explained. "That kid has some potential."

"We were not expecting that to happen." Harvey continued.

"Whoa. That is surprising."

Travers' friends nodded before Patterson arrived.

"All doing well?" He asked.

"Yes, sir." The three answered.

"Good, 'cause I got an approval from the higher ups to establish a village for the refugees not far from here."

"Safety reasons, I presume?" Harvey wondered.

"Yeah, we have to be very careful of where we are operating, hence the location of the village."

"While you are talking, I have just brought delicious croissants from Paris." A woman with a French accent said.

"Wait...Manon?" Patterson wondered.

Just then, a young French lady arrived at the tent.

"Sorry to bother you people." She apologized. "I was wondering if you are hungry."

"Uh, great to see you, Manon." Patterson said to her.

"Merci." Manon replied. "It's a great honor to be with you people."

"Yeah. You too."

Manon then sat down to wait. After a while, the officer arrived.

"Good morning, everyone. Thank you for waiting, so let's proceed to the mission at hand."

The projector then turned on to reveal more information.

"Thanks to the successful raid on the S.S. hideout in the Alps, we managed to acquire more information on German activity here in the Special Region, the codename of the world we are right now. According to the papers, there is a unit within the S.S. called the Schwarze Wespe, German for 'black wasp', that entered the area ten weeks ago. The papers mentioned that at least 15,000 members were part of the force, with 300 combined tank units and 250 aircraft at its disposal. Also, it was led by an officer named Colonel Dietrich von Erzenschwann, reportedly receiving research data from their Wunderwaffe program. Eliminating him and his unit will end the Nazi's quest for mass destruction. That's the information we have so far, so more future raids will be planned."

The officer then moved on to the next set of information.

"Moving on from that, we received reports from our recon team that a medium-sized German convoy is setting up a staging area in a walled city 50 miles from their current position. Your mission is to impede their advance to give us time to launch our own counterattack."

He then began to finish the briefing.

"This battle will show this world how we fight, so be careful with civilians. Alright, good luck."

They then left the tent before a larger convoy consisting of Shermans, Stuarts, half-tracks, tank destroyers, trucks, jeeps, two radio trucks, a radar truck, and a few medic trucks is ready to move.

"We're all set, but we have to warn the inhabitants of what's gonna happen before we unleash hell on the Krauts." Patterson reminded them. "I expect you people to be caring for them as well."

"Yes, sir!" Everyone replied.

"Good. Let's do this!"

Just then, Rory, Tuka and Lelei came to Travers.

"Where are you going, Boyd?" Lelei asked.

"Uh, we are heading for a walled city to attack a foe we know for some time." He answered.

"You mean Italica?"

"That's the name of the city?"

"Indeed." Rory replied. "It is an important trading market where goods from all the land came to be sold."

"I couldn't just stay here and do nothing!" Tuka said. "I wanna help!"

"No way. You can't do this." Travers rejected. "You don't know who are we dealing with."

Two of the girls then felt a bit sad.

"Uh, what happens if you can't deal with things we know?" Rory asked.

"Well, you're right." Travers suddenly agreed. "Turns out, we are still new here. I might ask Patterson if you can tag along."

"Aaahhh..." Two of the girls expressed their joy.

"But you have to be with someone who can help you get out of danger or stick with me. Okay?"

"Okay." Lelei replied. "We will."

After obtaining permission from Patterson, the girls then board a truck with Travers. Then, the convoy left for Italica to stop the German advance.

 _A/N: Alright, the upcoming battle is slowly coming in. What will happen in Italica changes not just the Special Region, but the war effort on Earth as well._

 _BE PREPARED._


	5. Chapter 5 - Of Nobles and Soldiers

**(Near Italica - April 28, 1945, 1343 hrs.)**

The OSS convoy was on their way to Italica after a recon team reported German activity far from the city. On the front section, it consists of three M4A3 Shermans, three M36 tank destroyers, two M16 AA half-tracks, and two M5 Stuarts. On the rear section, it consists of two Shermans, a single M16 half-track and two more Stuarts. In the middle of the pack is the transport trucks, radar and medic trucks.

While the convoy is moving, the people inside were spending their time talking.

"So, how is the scenery, Lieutenant?" Harvey asked.

"Well, it's fine if you are just a normal civilian." Patterson replied. "If you're a soldier, you're just a clear bullseye for the enemy."

"At least the Germans are now fighting on a tightrope, but not here."

"How about you, miss..." Harvey asked the French agent.

"Batiste." She answered. "Manon Batiste."

"Nice to meet you, Agent Batiste. I'm Harvey Erston, and these are my friends, Boyd Travers and Gallahand Cross." He introduced while showing his two colleagues.

"I will look forward to working with you three aside from Monsieur Patterson."

"Thank you, ma'am." Travers replied. "We will too."

"You can count on us." Gallahand assured.

"Hehehehehe. I like your enthusiasm." She giggled.

After that, Manon turned her attention to the three girls, the elf, sorcerer and apostle.

"I believe you three are from here, am I correct?"

"Y...yes, ma'am." Tuka replied. "Nice to meet you."

"Ah, don't worry." Manon assured. "I'm friendly."

"Excuse me, Travers?" Lelei asked him. "Why is she speaking a bit differently?"

"Well, she is a person from the country of France." Travers explained. "Most of us come from the country of America. And as such, her fellow citizens are speaking a different language when they are close to each other. We have other personnel from other countries but they would speak their language or speak ours in a different way."

"Ooh. I see."

"Speaking of Batiste, is she part of your army?" Rory asked.

"Yes, yes she is." Harvey replied. "However, we are different compared to the regular ones."

"Because..."

"...because we are called the Office of Strategic Services, an agency created to mainly operate behind the front lines. If we need to do something, we can do it. Sabotage, stealing battle plans, you name it. Just recently, we are assigned here to take out an enemy unit from a country called Germany."

"Ooooohhh. So you people are more skilled, eh?"

"Yeah."

"Travers, you know those girls' names?" Patterson asked.

"Yes, sir." He began to introduce them. "The girl in a black dress is Rory Mercury, the apostle for one of this world's gods, Emroy."

"Hello, Lieutenant." Rory said.

"The lady with colored hair is Lelei, a sorcerer."

"Nice to meet you, Lieutenant." She replied. "My name is Lelei La Lelena."

"And the elf?"

"Tuka, sir."

"Hello." She greeted. "I'm Tuka Luna Marceau."

Patterson nodded. Just then, the driver reminded him.

"Lieutenant, we have arrived." He announced.

"Stop here."

The convoy stopped to allow Patterson to check for the city using his binoculars. Tuka and Travers followed suit.

"Travers, Tuka, we are here." He told them.

"Wow." Travers was amazed. "The city is nice."

"Beautiful as well." Tuka followed.

As Patterson continued using the binoculars, he spotted something within the outside of the city.

"Huh...what the..."

"Sir...anything wrong?" Travers asked.

"There are some corpses outside the city, even broken pieces of wood." He described the situation. "Looks like a battle took hold of the city just recently."

"We better help them if we can!" Tuka suggested. "Some might be hurt!"

"Indeed. We must."

The three returned to the convoy.

"Tell everyone to move fast!" Patterson ordered. "Possible hostile activity within the city!"

"Yes, sir!"

Once the order was given, the convoy began speeding to Italica.

 **(Italica - 1355 hrs.)**

In the city, the militia was fending a large-scale bandit attack that took hold four hours ago. While most of them were killed outside the walls, some managed to get inside.

"Have you managed to get the citizens away from the fight?" Piña asked while fending two bandits.

"We did, Your Highness!" A militiaman replied. "Those bandits are about to break the barrier!"

"Keep the line intact!" Another ordered.

The militiamen and Piña's knights began to turn the tide as the bandits began to lose almost all of its men to the city. Swordfights and attacks from pikes and arrows also took place. When a bandit archer on top of a wall began to aim his bow at Piña, she noticed it.

"Huh..."

Then, something hit the head of the archer and he fell to his death below.

"What?!"

"Your Highness!"

She then noticed another bandit attempting to strike her down. She then drawed her sword towards the chest, puncturing him before he fell in death.

"That was close." She sighed.

Shortly after, the fight subsided. With the bandit attack neutralized, it was a sign of relief for the city. The militia cheered.

"Not yet, everyone!" The princess said to them. "There is still an even bigger fight ahead of us! So let's prepare ourselves!"

The militia began to repair their defenses and clear the city. Grey and Hamilton arrived.

"Are you alright, milady?" Grey asked. "We cleared the enemies on our end."

"Yes, I'm fine." Piña replied. "Just need to prepare for tonight."

"We lost a good number of the militiamen. The other knights will arrive tomorrow in the afternoon, the earliest." Hamilton followed with her report.

"What?!" Piña was shocked before calming down. "Okay, okay. We just have to..."

Then, a militiaman arrived.

"Your Highness, we have visitors at the south gate." He reported.

"Who are they?"

"They have unusually green wagons and animals within their ranks."

"Wait! Could it be..." She began rushing towards the south gate walls.

"Hold on, milady!" Hamilton shouted before she and Grey began following Piña.

When they reached the top of the gate, they were surprised.

"It has to be them, the men in green." Piña uttered.

"Do you think they have something to do here?" Hamilton asked her.

"If it's true that they were involved in the fire dragon's death, then let them in." Grey suggested.

"What?!" The ladies were shocked.

"Don't you remember what the owner of the tavern told us? Then they must be friendly."

Piña was having a hard time deciding what to do with them. Then, she heard a shout from the outside.

"Hello? Is anyone there?"

"What should I do?" She thought. "What should I do?"

"We like to have a word with you!"

After a while, she made her decision. She then went to the gate to open it and it revealed a man with green clothing.

"Are you one of the leaders for the defense of the city?"

"Uhhhh...yes." She replied.

"Thank you." He said before looking back. "Men, let's get inside!"

"Yes, sir!" More of them shouted before they went inside.

"Uhh...mind if I send someone to help you with your animals and wagons?"

"Oh, yes please." The leader replied before turning his attention to another man. "McCann, get a part of the convoy inside. Someone will guide you there."

"Yes, Lieutenant." The soldier replied.

"Wait, you are a lieutenant of your army?" The princess asked.

"Yes, I am." He said. "I'm Lieutenant James Steven Patterson of the Office of Strategic Services, special warfare and intelligence branch of the United States Army."

Piña nodded and she began to tell him something.

"Are you the rumored 'men in green' that took out the fire dragon?"

"Yes. We did took out that beast." Patterson replied.

"I can't believe I'm meeting the men that took out the foul beast!" Pina said in his mind. "Maybe this is the chance to take on the 'iron crosses'."

"Is something wrong? You stood silent for a while."

"Uh, nothing." She then began to invite Patterson.

"Would you mind meeting at Clan Formal Mansion in a while?" She asked. "I need to discuss with you."

"We will." Patterson agreed.

"Good." Piña then left for the mansion. Immediately after, more soldiers arrived along with Rory, who made the townspeople scared.

 **(Clan Formal Mansion - 1428 hrs.)**

Travers, Gallahand, Patterson, Harvey and Manon were inside the mansion to meet with the princess regarding battle plans.

"Guess we have a big talk with her today." Gallahand commented. "I wonder how she'll react when we tell her that the Krauts would stop by for a visit."

"Yeah." Travers replied. "If recon is correct, the Germans are not far from here. That means they would attack on the cover of darkness."

"If that's the case, I would suggest hiding our Panzerschrecks and M18s a bit far away from the gates, plus place our tanks and TDs on strategic areas of the town." Harvey followed. "I heard from the guys that at least three Tigers and seven Panzer IVs are with their convoy."

"Guess that sums up our battle plan." Patterson concluded. "Once the meeting is done, prepare everything. Okay?"

"Yes, sir." The three soldiers replied before a maid of elder age arrived.

"The princess requests an audience with the leader of your army." She said.

"Alright." Patterson went to follow her to the throne room.

"Come, let's follow him." Manon suggested to the soldiers before agreeing.

When the representatives arrived in the throne room, Piña and a young child was waiting.

"Thank you for coming here, Lieutenant Patterson." Piña welcomed him.

"My pleasure, Your Highness." Patterson replied.

The sight of a young child caught the attention of Manon and the three soldiers.

"I wonder why a child is doing here." Manon said.

"Don't know." Harvey replied. "But judging by the clothing, I'd say she may be of great nobility."

"Yeah." Travers agreed. "No doubt about it."

"What do we need to discuss, Your Highness?" Patterson asked.

"We need help." Piña requested. "A bandit army is planning to attack the city and Italica has no standing army to try and stop it."

"What? How did that happened?!"

"It's because of a crisis that recently hit Clan Formal. The last lord passed away after joining an expedition, and the offsprings are divided on who is to rightfully rule Italica. The little girl beside me is the youngest, Myui." She then pointed at the girl.

"Her?" Patterson felt baffled.

"Yes. Her elder sisters were constantly fighting for control of the throne. That is why Myui was in charge of the affairs of the city."

"Okay then. So that explains why the fight happened recently, now what?"

"We need you to help us defend the city." Piña requested. "You will take position on the south gate while we take position on the east gate. The bandits will think twice about entering the city."

Patterson suddenly went worried.

"I'm starting to think the Germans would use the fight as cover as well." Patterson feared. "This isn't good."

"Will you agree to this?" Piña asked.

"Yes, we will." Patterson agreed before Piña moves on to another situation.

"Have you ever heard of the army with 'the iron crosses'?" Piña asked.

"What?" Every OSS operative, except for Patterson and Manon, is shocked.

"Oh, we know them alright." Patterson answered. "They even have a name."

"And what is that?"

"Travers!" Patterson called.

"Yes, sir." Travers responded before moving forward.

"Boyd Travers of the Office of Strategic Services, United States Army, Your Highness." He introduced himself, which made Piña surprised.

"The army that has those iron crosses are from the country of Germany, which is now losing a war in our world." Travers answered. "Just more than ten weeks ago, they came to this world in search for more powerful weapons in an attempt to turn the tide in their favor. We are assigned here just recently to stop them.".

Piña nodded.

"Please continue."

"The unit that arrived here is called the Schwarze Wespe, under the command of the German Army's Waffen S.S. As far as we have from our scouts, they will come here to set up a staging point. That is why we are stopping them here."

Piña and Myui felt worried.

"Uhh, what are we going to do, young soldier?" Myui asked.

"Get the civilians and unarmed men underground for safety."

"And why that method?" Piña followed.

"Because, we experienced sieges on a more destructive scale." Harvey joined in. "While you have catapults, we have a more powerful type of siege weapons called howitzers. There is also rocks that drop from the sky and explode on the surface. They are called bombs."

The two nobles were getting more frantic.

"Your armies can't even stand a chance against the might of the Germans." Gallahand also told them. "What you saw earlier is something you have to be very, very careful of."

"Please! Help us get through this!" Piña pleaded. "I don't know how your armies fight!"

"Don't worry." Manon assured her. "We know what to do. Just follow their advice and casualties can be minimalized."

 **(1803 hrs.)**

As the OSS and the Italica militia are preparing for a three-way battle, Patterson assembled the men for a field briefing.

"We have received reports that the Germans are 20 miles out from the city. As far as we know, they have only few artillery pieces with them. There is even a possibility of air attacks, so our anti-air vehicles and air support would be our only hope of surviving the fight."

He then proceeded to assign the operatives.

"Corporal McCann and 2nd Lieutenant Erston would be in charge for the defense of Clan Formal Mansion."

"Yes, sir." The corporal agreed. "We'll be in charge of the Countess and personnel's safety."

"Travers and Cross will be in charge of the western and northern sections of the city respectively. We'll also send tank units, alongside our riflemen, anti-tank and sniper units."

"Affirmative." The two men agreed.

"I will be in charge of the southern section as planned by Princess Piña while Batiste will be at the eastern section as armed observer. Are we clear?"

"Sir, yes sir!" Everyone shouted.

"Move out!"

As planned, everyone began to scramble to their assigned stations. When Boyd and Gallahand arrived at their posts, they began to use the radio to talk to each other.

"Already in your post?" Travers asked. "I'm at the western section."

"Yeah, I'm there." Gallahand replied. "Good luck, buddy."

Then, the three girls arrived.

"Still worried about those 'Germans', I see?" Rory asked.

"Yeah." Travers responded. "They are going to unleash fury against us."

"Just stay calm. You already told me about the story of how you took down an elite, so maybe you could repeat it again."

"Thank you Rory for reminding me."

The apostle giggled.

"Anything we can do?" Lelei asked.

"Just try to get everyone to safety underground, if the city has a shelter like that." Boyd suggested. "Rocks are going to fly and if you see someone wearing an iron cross, hide."

"Oh, that reminds me. The city has a catacomb and a large underground storage area that we can use."

"Great idea. Do your best."

Lelei nodded.

"And what can I do?" Tuka asked.

"Just help Lelei with the evacuation." Travers responded. "We may be busy with the fight, so try to get everyone safe."

"I will. Good luck."

Travers nodded before the girls left. A soldier arrived.

"Anything wrong, sir?" He asked.

"Uh, nothing." Travers replied. "They are just stopping by."

"You sure are a nice friend to the people here. If I would make a friend here, I can give them advice and help them if I can."

"Yeah. Thank you."

Just then, Manon radioed the entire OSS operatives in the area.

"This is Agent Batiste, we have bandit forces attacking the east gate." She reported while shouting can be heard on her end.

"Wha...they figured out?!" Travers was shocked.

"Yes, Monsieur. They did figured it out."

"Do you need support?"

"I'll ask Patterson for that. For now, stay at your assigned area."

Travers felt confused, but knowing that the Germans are more dangerous than the bandits, he decided to comply.

"Travers, affirmative."

At the east gate, fighting has occured once again as the bandits brought a ballista to reinforce their army. The militia hold their ground as their archers began to fire at the bandits. Though they managed to score a good number, they were hit hard by the ballista. Militiamen were both prepared and anxious as the bandits are closing in.

"Can you send the militia further back? I'll try to get support!" Manon asked.

"Uhh...yes please!" Piña replied. "We need to help the others!"

Manon then wondered about the princess.

"Strange, if she was a princess and a knight at the same time, she would have figured out how they can win. But, it looks like she wasn't prepared for that. What was she thinking?"

Far outside the city, the sound of engines filled the atmosphere as the Germans have their sights on Italica.

 _"We have reports of Americans within the city."_ A soldier said in German.

 _"Damn them. They knew what we're doing?"_ A commander asked.

 _"Yes, sir."_

 _"Prepare the units to move out. We'll attack them while the confusion is still going on. And tell command for air reinforcements."_

Soon after, they began to head for the city.

 _A/N: This is the first part of the Battle of Italica arc. This is way different than the one in the manga or anime, since it will be a three-sided fight._

 _And try guessing which character is going to wield a C96 Mauser for someone's first gun combat._


	6. Chapter 6 - Wreckage of Italica

**(Italica - April 28, 1945, 1830 hrs.)**

Minutes ago, a bandit army began attacking Italica for the second time using the east gate as their attack point. The local defenders were caught by surprise and they were scrambling to try to repel the attack. On top of the walls of the east gate, OSS agent Manon Batiste was fending a small number of bandits who reached the top to secure the gate mechanism using her Sten submachine gun. This caught Piña and the other defenders by surprise.

"Stay behind me!" Manon said to them. "You'll be safe!"

"Okay, but how did your staff killed the bandits with ease?" Piña replied.

"Just do as I say!" Then Manon began reloading her weapon.

"Uh, alright then."

As the defense slowly began to be torn apart, many of the militias are falling back to the safety of the wall while the fresh archers began to fire.

"Release your arrows!" One archer ordered before they released their arrows. Suddenly, a siren of the bandit army deflected them.

"What?!" One archer reacted before more bandits entered the walls, killing them. Manon didn't hesitate to fire again.

"Fall back!" Manon ordered.

"You heard her!" Grey echoed. "Move back!"

At the western section of the city, Travers was waiting for a response from Patterson.

"C'mon already!" Travers said impatiently while trying to radio the lieutenant. "Can you read me?"

Then, Patterson replied.

"I read you, Travers. We are in a deep situation! The bandits are slowly chewing away the eastern defense line and the princess needs help."

"Can I request for a machine gun nest to be set-up there?" Travers asked.

"Only one because we need the others for the Germans." Patterson responded.

"Affirmative." Then, Travers ended the transmission.

Immediately after, he can hear screaming. He then noticed it was coming from Rory.

"Uh, Rory..." He began to run to her.

"Travers, wait!" A soldier tried to call him, but to no avail.

When he found her in the middle of town, she was already sitting on the ground in agony. Lelei was there to comfort her.

"Rory, Lelei! What's going on?"

"Uggggghhhh! Help me Boyd! Rory pleaded. "I...can't...hold...it!"

"Lelei, anything wrong with her?" Travers asked.

"Apparently, Rory is experiencing a number of souls flowing through her body." Lelei replied.

"What?! So she's a conduit for the dead?!"

"Yes, apparently. Whenever a large battle happens or someone dies, the souls of the fallen pass through her on their way to the side of Emroy. During that period, she would act unusually and often she would attack any opposing force."

While Rory anguishes, Travers began to leave.

"Lelei, you take care of her. I have to go back to my post." Travers said.

Lelei nodded and Travers was on his way to the west gate.

"Just hold on." Lelei comforted Rory. "We'll get through this."

"Kyaaa...okay then!"

On the way there, an explosion rocked him. It was located at a house a few dozen footsteps ahead of him.

"Artillery fire?" Just then, another one exploded at a nearby area.

"No way...this can't be."

Just immediately after he arrived at the gate, an OSS operative then shouted upon sawing something in the distance. The shape of a figure made him recognize the enemy they are about to face.

"Tiger!"

Travers then saw German forces approaching the city. A Tiger tank then opened fire at the gate, destroying it in an instant. As well, a half-track armed with an MG42 fired at the OSS soldiers on the walls, forcing them to take cover.

"Take cover!" One soldier ordered and they complied.

"Damn them!" Another observed. "They're pushin' through!"

When some Germans and a Panzer IV entered the city, they were very careful on where they are going. The OSS then opened fire on the German forces, but the former were very careful due to the Panzer in front of them.

"Die, SOBs!" One soldier shouted at the Germans.

 _"Move forward and mark the targets for the planes!"_ The German ordered.

"Reloading!" One OSS soldier said.

 _"Grenade out!"_ The German shouted as he timed the throw of his Stielhandgranate. One it was above three OSS soldiers, it detonated in an air burst, killing its targets.

"Dammit!" A survivor uttered before Travers began opening fire.

As the shootout of the west gate moved on, another German attack took place on the north and south gates simultaneously. On the north, Gallahand's team took some more beating as the Germans and the Allies exchanged fire.

"We are under attack!" Gallahand reported on the radio. "Requesting reinforcements! Air support, ground teams, everything we can get!"

Just then, two Germans saw Gallahand. They opened fire, but Gallahand escaped the bullets. He then got hold on his Thompson, opening fire at the Germans. He killed them before two OSS soldiers came to Gallahand.

"Gallahand, you're okay?" One of them asked.

"Yeah." He replied. "How's below?"

"No good. The Germans have downstairs under their control. We're almost trapped."

"Follow me." Gallahand ordered. "I know somewhere where we can sneak out."

At the south, Patterson's unit was under heavy fire from German bullets and shells. Few of his soldiers were killed in the process and he and his allies were taking cover.

"How's the anti-tank weapons?" Patterson asked.

"The Krauts just turned the path into a killzone, sir!" A soldier replied before firing back.

"How's the north and west gates?"

"We have not receive a response so far!" Another reported. "It looks like they are under heavy fire and no one might be manning them!"

"Dammit!" Then, Patterson has an idea.

"Give me cover fire! I'm going to the rockets!"

"You sure, sir?" One soldier hold some doubts.

"Just trust me, or we might not make it!"

The soldier nodded and Patterson began sprinting to the weapons cache.

"Give him cover fire!" The OSS soldiers began to open fire at the Germans as some of them attempted to kill Patterson. A tank also tried to do it but its shells missed. When he reached the cache, he got hold on a M18 and began to return to fire back at the tank. After a few shots, and some intense gunfires, the tank exploded.

"Alright!" One of the OSS soldiers sighed.

"Let's push 'em back!" Patterson encouraged.

At the Clan Formal Mansion, Myui and the residence's maids were worried as the battle intensified.

"I hope the knights and soldiers are okay." Myui prayed.

Just then, Harvey and McCann arrived.

"Everyone, we have to go to the catacombs!" Harvey adivsed. "It's already a three-sided fight!"

"Alright. We will."

"McCann, keep them safe." Harvey said to the corporal.

"I will." He replied. "You too."

Harvey nodded.

"These soldiers will keep us safe, nya." A cat-girl maid encouraged Myui as the two defenders watched their guard.

Suddenly, a gunshot hit the walls of the mansion just as they are moving.

"Get down!" Harvey shouted and every followed. He then found a sniper and a few regular German troops entering the mansion.

"Uh, McCann, we have trouble!" He observed.

"Get that sniper!" McCann replied "I'll handle the Krauts downstairs!"

"Affirmative!" Then, Corporal McCann went to take them down.

As Harvey engaged the German sniper in a duel, they both fired their rifles to see who can kill them first. Harvey was concentrating his aim while holding his Springfield rifle while the German has some advantages while using his Gewehr 43. After a while, a stalemate ensued.

"Come on, come on." Harvey waited patiently.

Then, the German began to reveal from his cover in order to check for Harvey. When he found him, however, it was Harvey's win as he pulled the trigger to kill the German in the head.

"Yes!" Harvey sighed.

"You must help your friend now." A bunny maid suggested. "He is in the front area on the ground floor and he could be in danger."

"Thanks for the advice."

McCann was engaged in a firefight with the three Germans as gunfire echoed the mansion.

 _"Grenade!"_ A German shouted before releasing the grenade. Fortunately, McCann cleared in time to escape the blast. He then returned fire before killing the three intruders.

"Glad you are okay." Harvey commented.

"Yeah." McCann replied. Just then, three armed Germans appeared behind them, making the duo surrounded.

 _"Don't move!"_ One said.

"Great!" Harvey cursed. "We're trapped."

Just then, movements began to echo as the Germans were getting vigilant.

 _"Be careful."_ The commander ordered. _"There is more of them out there."_

Then, the movements went louder and are closing in in a mostly dark area. One of them found someone.

 _"What the..."_ The cat-girl then attacked him while his gun was shooting away towards the ceiling. Harvey and McCann then performed a melee attack at the remaining captors.

"Glad you came to help us." McCann thanked the cat-girl.

"It's a pleasure, nya." She replied.

"Man, cat-girls are really cool."

"Yeah!" Harvey agreed. "Let's go help the others."

 **(Alnus Hill - 1905 hrs.)**

At the base, eight P-47 Thunderbolts and eight P-51 Mustangs began to taxi to the dirt runway as they prepare to head for Italica.

"This is Jaguar 1-1, requesting take-off clearance." The commander of the flight, Heimerich Solten, radioed the tower.

"Affirmative, Jaguar Flight." The control tower responded. "Cleared for take-off. Godspeed."

"Roger that. Jaguars, roll out at full throttle!"

One by one, the fighters began to take-off as the roar of the engines filled the air. Two C-47s were preparing to leave as the paratroopers were approaching to board. The leader of the troopers, William Holt, gave a short speech while running to the planes.

"Men, this is not a drill! We have guys engaging in a heavy firefight with the Krauts, and they need our help as fast as we can! Let's give the Krauts hell!"

"Sir, yes sir!" His subordinates responed before boarding their planes.

 **(Italica -1930 hrs.)**

As the fight continues, Piña, Manon and the militia were constantly pushed back as the east gate defences are slowly collapsing. After the bandits got hold of the gate, Manon resorted to using her sidearm.

"Get the civilians away from the line!" Manon ordered. "I have an idea!"

She then revealed a Gammon grenade she kept in case of an emergency.

"Madam, what is that strange black bag you are holding?" Hamilton asked while looking at the contraption.

"Just trust me!"

She then dashed through to the walls while shooting at any hostiles in her way. Just as four OSS operatives arrived with their machine gun and submachine guns, Batiste armed the grenade.

"Grenade!"

She threw it away towards the bandit army outside the gate. When it hit the ground, it detonated, killing many bandits and scaring many of the defenders in the process. As well, the OSS soldiers opened fire.

"Just...what kind of sorcery is this?!" A shell-shocked Piña thought.

"This is the power of the OSS!" Grey answered with the same feeling.

Rory's condition became worse as Lelei continued holding on to her.

"I...can't...hold...it!" Rory screamed.

"Hold on a little longer!" Lelei encouraged her.

Then, Rory stood silent.

"Hehehehehe."

"Oh dear." Lelei uttered as Rory left for the east gate in glee. "Guess I better help Tuka."

"Keep firing!" The OSS soldier reminded as the surviving bandits were forced to flee. Suddenly, Rory appeared with a taste for blood.

"It's the apostle of Emroy!" One of them shouted as some decided to fight her while others flee. The defenders were initially shaken for a moment before the militia cheered for victory.

"We did it!" The militia shouted before explosion are felt from the west.

"Uh, what's going on?" Another asked.

"It looks like magic has gotten out of control!" Piña shouted in an attempt to shield them from the gunfight. "We need to go underground!"

The citizens and some of the militia agreed. In the middle of the city, Tuka and Lelei were helping with the evacuations as gunfire echoed in the air.

"Come on, everyone! We need to get to safety!" Tuka encouraged.

"This will become a danger zone!" Lelei echoed. "We need you to head for the catacombs!"

Suddenly, Harvey and McCann arrived.

"Thank you for coming to our aid!" Tuka thanked them.

"No problem!" Just then, she can hear voices.

 _"The OSS are probably here, Klinsmann!"_ One of them said. _"I can hear them!"_

"Uh, who are they?" Tuka asked. "They talk differently."

"Oh crud!" McCann found out. "Quick! Hide!"

They then hide near the route where the Germans are running. The two operatives then armed their weapons when they saw them. After that, they pulled the trigger.

"Quick, we need to move to that area!" Harvey said while pointing to the house beside the dead soldiers.

The group dashed for cover, but not before Tuka got hold of a C96 Mauser. They then moved towards the inside of the house and Tuka and Lelei took cover for safety. When the Germans arrived, they began firing.

 _"I see them!"_ One of them observed.

"Open fire!" Harvey shouted as they began firing.

The Germans slowly closed in while taking some casualties. Eventually, two of them reached the house and began to aim their weapons. Suddenly, Tuka aimed the pistol.

"Eat this!" She shot a few rounds, killing the soldiers. The OSS operatives and Lelei were surprised.

"I don't know you can operate that pistol!" McCann commented.

"It appears Tuka managed to figure out how to use it." Lelei followed. "This is a first for the world."

"Ugh...thanks?" Tuka said before accidentaly fired the last round at the wall.

"Yow! I shot it by accident, didn't I?"

"Yep." McCann replied.

Just then, Travers arrived.

"Glad y'all okay." Travers sighed.

"Yeah, we are." Harvey replied.

Then, Gallahand and his team arrived.

"We are all here, but where's Lieutenant Patterson?" Just then, a Panzer IV and a couple of Germans arrived to take out the group. Two rockets were fired and the German infantry units went scrambling for cover when their tank cover is destroyed.

"Open fire!" Travers ordered the soldiers.

A brief firefight ensued. Some Germans were shot by the group while the others fired back. Eventually, the rest were eliminated after Patterson and some of his men arrived.

"You people okay?" Patterson asked.

"Yes, we are okay!" Lelei shouted.

"Speaking of which, where's Rory?" Travers asked.

"She left and decided to attack the bandits." Lelei explained. "That's what usually happens in times like this."

Then, they heard engine sounds from the air.

"You hear that?" Gallahand asked.

"Yeah." Patterson answered. "It's the Luftwaffe."

Piña and the others were surprised by the strange sound.

"I heard something." Grey observed. "This is not happening."

"Everyone get out of here and head for the underground shelters!" Manon ordered.

"This can't be..." Piña tried to observe what's happening.

"It's the iron vultures!" Hamilton shouted. "We have to move!"

"Iron vul...no! That's the Luftwaffe!" Manon found out.

In the air, two medium-sized squadrons consisting of Bf 109 fighters and Ju 87 Stuka dive bombers began their bombing run on Italica. Some managed to take out half of the OSS armoured and mechanized force, which are engaging the remaining German armoured units.

"This can't be happening!" Piña thought. "We are all going to die!"

In the mansion, the building constantly shakes for each bomb drop.

"Is this the end for us?" Myui wondered.

Patterson and his unit remained undettered.

"If the Krauts want to get us, we will fight to the death." Patterson said before the surviving units armed their weapons.

Just then, one Bf 109 was hit by tracer fire. It exploded into flames before crashing and the plane that got the kill did a fly-by.

"Huh?" The girls and some of the men wondered.

"No way..." Travers followed.

At the east gate, Grey noticed another squadron heading for Italica from the southeast.

"Milady, more of them are coming our way!" Grey observed. "But...they're different."

"Huh?" Piña and Hamilton began to see the other 'vultures', which have a star emblem on the right wing and are colored differently.

"Manon, is that yours?" Hamilton asked.

"Yeah!" She answered. "It's the USAAF!"

"What?!" The knights were confused.

Heimerich and his squadron arrived to take out the German fighters.

"They're they are!" Heimerich observed. "Jaguars, you know the drill. P-51s will engage the fighters and bombers while the rest will launch ground attacks. Let's give the para-boys a nice place to land."

"Roger, Capt'n." A subordinate responded.

"Break formation!"

The USAAF and the Luftwaffe engaged in a heated dogfight over the night skies of Italica. Bullets fly as the Mustangs and the 109s and Stukas shoot at each other. In one cockpit of a Mustang, the pilot began predicting the 109s flight path and fired the machine guns. The plane began emitting flames as the German began to bail out.

"He's going down!" He confirmed.

Heimerich began to line up for a shot at a Panzer using his rockets.

"Rockets away!" He shouted while launching them. Then, the rockets hit the target.

"Direct hit!" He confirmed.

Manon arrived at Patterson's position to meet up with him.

"One more round, Monsieur?" She asked.

"Yeah!" Patterson replied. "Men, let's give 'em hell!"

At the same time, the C-47s began to signal the paratroopers for a drop on the city.

"Stand up!" Holt shouted. "Hook up!"

As soon as the green light was lit, Holt began to signal them to jump.

"Go, go, go!"

Each soldier then got out of the plane to land at Italica with their parachutes. Despite the ferocity of the fighting, they shrugged it before landing. They immediately began to fight the Germans. Meanwhile, Patterson and his team got hold of anti-tank weaponry to eliminate the Tigers that entered the city. On the way there, Holt met up with him.

"William Holt of the OSS." He said to Patterson while saluting.

"Good to see you joining us today." Patterson replied. "Wanna get the honors of eliminating the Krauts?"

"Nah, let some of your men do that. I had other things to worry about ever since the last fight with Von Schrader."

"And we have another superweapon to worry, if we could find one."

Holt nodded before the OSS began their final push towards the Germans. Rory also joined in to help. At the east gate, Piña watched in horror as the United States began to clear the German resistance. With the paratroopers, artillery explosions and aircraft on sight, all she could do was wonder at the sheer power unleashed at each other.

"Men descending from the sky? Magic explosions? Iron vultures? What are we facing? They are monsters!"

 **(April 29, 1945, 1003 hrs.)**

The next morning, engine noises, smoke and the smell of burnt rubble and ash filled the air as the Germans and the bandit army were defeated. With Italica almost in ruins, except for the Clan Formal Mansion and a few others, it will take a long time before rebuilding can be completed. Medic and transport trucks arrived on the scene to help the surviving citizens by providing aid and medical support. Medium tanks and AA half-tracks also arrived to provide security. Travers was sitting on a bench when Gallahand arrived.

"Well...we did it." Gallahand commented.

"You mean that we won?" Travers asked.

"Yeah. The Germans suffered their first defeat here in this world."

"At the cost of some of our men and equipment. I don't know what will we do next. Maybe do infiltration once we figured out where their bases are located? It will take some time."

Gallahand nodded before drinking with his canteen. Just then, Lelei arrived.

"I forgot to tell you something, Travers." Lelei said. "Tuka killed two Germans with a pistol."

"She figured it out how to use it?" Travers asked.

"Apparently, she did." Lelei nodded.

"Well, that's...unprecedented."

"Indeed."

Just then, two female knights, one with blonde "drill" hair and another with a short-cut silver hair, arrived in the city. They were shocked by the devastation when they got in for a closer look.

"This is unreal." The blonde girl observed. "A fire dragon must have made the damages."

"Looks like. Unfortunately, there are still some people here so a fire dragon attack can be ruled out." The silver-haired girl replied.

"Speaking of which, we need to find the princess. Let's go."

As the duo walked through the streets, the found unusual vehicles parked outside the streets, some with red crosses.

"What are those things?" The blonde asked. "They don't have horses!"

"I don't know, Bozes." The other replied. "But at least they don't have the iron crosses as milady feared."

The first nodded before they saw two men with green clothes sitting on a bench.

"Maybe we can find answers from those men in green." Bozes suggested.

The guy with a container poked at the other, who is still writing something.

"Uh, Travers?" He asked while pointing at the knights. "I think we have company."

"What the?" Travers was surprised. "Those knights are girls!"

The men were still surprised even as the girls approached them for a talk.

 _A/N: Alright. Germany tasted defeat in the Special Region, even though they are losing anyway in the war._

 _Again, talking will be the main point of the next chapter that will lead to the mission of destroying a familiar superweapon in the Medal of Honor games. Starting with the least threatening would be a good start._

 _See you._


	7. Chapter 7 - Die Überraschung

**(Italica - April 29, 1945, 1011 hrs.)**

Travers and Gallahand were surprised when two young female knights came towards them. The intentions of the latter was likely for information gathering in regards to what happened recently.

"Excuse me, young soldiers?" The blonde knight called.

"Ummm...us?" Travers tried to confirm.

"Yes, you two." The silver-haired knight replied.

"I would like to ask where do you come from." The blonde requested.

"We came from Alnus." Gallahand answered, which surprised the knights.

"Huh?"

"What's wrong with us coming from that place?" Travers wondered.

"That place...was the holy ground!" One of the knights answered before holding the handle of her sword. "I won't let the hill be defiled for the second time!"

This prompted Travers and Gallahand to put their hands on the grip of their sidearms for a possible fight. Just then, Piña and Patterson arrived.

"Bozes, Panache! That's enough!" Piña ordered them.

"Milady, you're here!" Bozes uttered.

"The men in green are not a threat to us. They saved the city."

"Umm, who is that beside you, milady?" Panache asked while pointing at the lieutenant.

"The person beside me is Lieutenant James Steven Patterson of the so-called Office of Strategic Services, part of the United States Army. He is the leader of the army that helped defend Italica from the bandits and the Army of the Iron Cross, or Germany as they are called." The princess explained.

"No way."

"Yes, apparently."

Patterson arrived to meet with his subordinates.

"How are things doing here?" Patterson asked.

"Our encounter with those young ladies became heated, but otherwise, no shots were fired." Travers reported.

"I would also like to report that the citizens here are getting their aid as we speak." Gallahand followed.

"Good." Patterson nodded. "In a while, regroup at the mansion. A field debriefing will be held there."

"Affirmative sir." Travers and Gallahand said before saluting.

The two sighed in relief.

"Let's not speak of this again." Travers suggested.

"Yeah." Gallahand agreed.

 **(Clan Formal Mansion - 1156 hrs.)**

On a large table, representatives from the OSS were negotiating a treaty with Myui, Piña and Hamilton regarding the provisions for the handling of key issues, including treatment of POWs, economic grants and the future of Italica.

"In regards to prisoners, we, the OSS, will exclusively handle German prisoners of war, as well as a total of 55 POWs from the bandit army." Manon suggested. "As well, for the rest, which will be under the supervision of Her Highness Piña Co Lada of the Empire, they shall be treated humanely and without heavy abuse."

"Humanely?" Hamilton wondered about the word.

"Yes, humanely." Patterson answered. "It means that you treat them without putting them under harsh treatment, like heavy torture or slavery."

"Oh, I see."

"Second, Alnus and its tenants will be exempt from any taxes or economic policies from the Empire for the next ten years." Lieutenant Rolando, the officer who arrived in the new world early this morning, followed. "This will ensure that the refugees under our care will be financially and economically ready for their future as a village within the holy ground will be established within the period of effect."

"I will agree with that." Piña said.

"Finally, for your world's security and ours, we will operate freely within your realm for our operations." Patterson took his turn. "Italica, from this day forward, will house a nearby base, thereby putting the city under extended protection courtesy of the United States Army. Countess Myui Formal will continue to lead the city as usual."

The nobles were in a sign of relief.

"I thank you for your generous aid." Myui said in gratitude. "The city will never forget what you did yesterday."

"Your welcome." Patterson replied.

Then, every side shook their hands after the treaty is signed. Outside the room, Travers was finishing his report when Rory came.

"Still not yet done with the report?" Rory asked.

"Already did, Rory." Travers replied. "I'll give this to the colonel when we're done with the discussions."

"You better, because I have to return back and take a look around more. Those people descending towards the sky and how your iron eagles fight made me interested."

"Whaaat?" Travers was surprised. "Don't you think this would annoy some of the personnel? They're kinda busy, you see."

"Ugggghh, okay then." Rory felt disappointed. "How about for once?"

"Just wait for the permission from the higher ups. I'm sure they would do that." Travers suggested which made Rory suddenly excited.

"Oh thank you, Boyd!" Then she ran towards him and began to hug. This annoyed Boyd.

"Uhhh...maybe not now." Boyd tried to get out of the hug.

Meanwhile, Patterson and Holt are discussing the events happening in their world.

"How are the Russians doing?" Patterson asked.

"They're closing in on the Reichstag as we speak." Holt reported. "That's what my Russian friends said."

"That's good news. Anything else?"

"Fifteen days ago, even before we are sent here, we did managed to find some maps containing some submarine and shipping routes to the Arctic, even the lists of equipment being sent there, including aircraft and all. That place is very cold so it's unlikely they'll ever keep it running as a regular base, unless the Krauts might be developing something."

Holt began to ask if there is something weird there.

"Hey Jimmy, do you think that the second tunnel like that one near Regensburg could be there too?"

"That's highly likely." Patterson said while holding his chin. "The officer earlier said that there is a possibility that another gate exists somewhere. What you found could fit the last piece of the puzzle."

"Indeed. In a few weeks time, me and my team might check that place out."

"Affirmative." Then, the two saluted before they depart separately.

In her room, an exhausted Piña was sitting in her bed after moments of tense negotiations. Her maid Kaine arrived with tea.

"How are the negotiations doing, milady?" The maid asked before putting the tea on the table.

"It's going well as we speak." The princess replied. "We'll be safe under the OSS for a while, after what happened last night."

"That's great. I even heard from Persia that she fought a so-called German soldier."

"Wait...what?!" Piña was surprised.

"It's true. She said that two of the OSS soldiers were captured by the Germans for a brief moment here." Kaine began telling Persia's story. "Then, she attacked one of them and the men in green did the same."

"So...that means that they can still fight without those weird staffs?"

"Apparently, they can."

Piña then thought of something.

"Kaine, summon Bozes and Panache here." She requested.

"As you wish." Kaine replied before leaving.

 **(1309 hrs.)**

In a tavern, the patrons were feeling relaxed after what happened. Some drank while others talked. Travers, Gallahand and Harvey were stopping by to do the same as well.

"I owe you ten bucks if Travers can nail that only shot with only his pistol." Harvey challenged Gallahand in a bet.

"Oh, you're on." Gallahand accepted.

"Anyway, I have a story to tell." They sat down and they got their drinks.

"Yesterday, some of those Krauts managed to get inside the mansion quickly after the attack began." Harvey explained.

"By surprise, I presume?" Gallahand guessed.

"They did." He replied before drinking. "Me and McCann got a very close call when we're captured for a very brief moment. One of the maids gave us the opportunity to fight back."

"Wait, one of them?" Travers asked.

"Yes, one of them. And that maid has cat ears and a tail."

"What?" The two men was surprised. "She has cat features?!"

"Yes, believe me." Harvey pleaded. "This world might have more creatures that we haven't seen yet. Plus, most of them aren't humans just like her."

"I wouldn't certainly disagree with ya'." Travers decided. "I'm probably gonna have to get some more food if we need to."

"Yeah." Gallahand followed. "Guess it's our turn to share."

"I heard from Lelei that Rory went blood-crazy during the fight." Travers said. "According to Lelei, whenever a fight like what happened last night occurs, she would first behave as if she has an injury and then suddenly go fight the oppresing force with glee."

"What the..."

"It's true." Gallahand insisted. "Boyd even told me that it is her nature as an apostle for the god Emroy. She is a conduit for the souls of the dead."

"Holy cow." Harvey uttered before Tuka came.

"I was thinking if Travers is here." She said.

"Uhm, I'm here." Travers answered. "Just having some time for ourselves."

"Great, because I was wondering if you could help us with the aid you gave to them." Tuka requested. "They still need help with how they can use them and what they are."

"Oh, that." He replied before standing up. "Gallahand, Harvey, meet me at the mansion when you're done."

"We'll d..." Harvey stopped before changing his mind. "On second thought, let's all help."

"Count me in, too." Gallahand followed. "I wouldn't let my buddy get in trouble."

"Thanks, guys." Travers replied. "Tuka, you may..."

"Oh, right." Tuka then lead them them to the aid receiving area and they began to teach them how to use their goods aside from helping them. Medic also arrived to help.

Meanwhile, Bozes and Panache were inside the mansion receiving orders from Piña.

"As you know, the OSS are going to freely move around the world in search for the so-called 'Germans'. Piña explained. "Our weapons are useless against them while they have the sorcery, magic and unusual creatures to cause catastrophic damage."

"Umm...like what happened here, milady? Panache asked.

"Correct. Italica was hit on all sides, mostly on the Germans. The OSS also has the same means."

The princess then began to move on with the orders.

"Panache..."

"Yes, milady?"

"...you'll be in charge with the security of the city, along with the other knights and the OSS." Piña said. "Myui already has help, but I think she needs to have some more just in case."

"As you wish, Your Highness." Panache accepted.

"And you, Bozes..."

"Yes, princess?"

"Come with me. We need to see Alnus for ourselves." Piña requested.

"But-but...why go there?!" Bozes asked with a surprised face. "Isn't that where the iron crosses first settled in this world?!"

"Yes, but the OSS, those 'men in green', show capacity to fight for their allies and friends and they have some compassion to everyone around." The princess assured. "So I bet they could allow us to go inside and see what they have."

"I...I...I understand." The blonde knight decided to agree.

"Good. Be prepared in three..."

A loud bang was heard from outside the city. Shockwaves were also felt. An OSS-installed siren was even filling the air.

"Hya...what was that?!" Panache wondered.

"It's the same explosion as last night!" Piña answered. "But...for some reason, it was more powerful."

Shouting was heard from outside the mansion.

"Artillery fire!" An OSS soldier shouted. "Everyone, to battle stations!"

"Ready the tanks and AA!" Another followed. "Get us air support!"

Then, Patterson and Myui arrived in the room.

"Your Highness, we have to move!" He requested.

"Alright!" Piña agreed. "Bozes..."

"Yes, milady!"

"You too!" Patterson said to Panache.

"Uh, alright."

Soon, they head outside. On the way there, another explosion took hold, this time on the northern section of the city. When they reached outside, screams of the citizens were heard as well as engines and OSS soldiers running to their positions. Boyd and his friends arrived, including Rory and Lelei.

"Another artillery fire again!" Travers commented. "They don't want to give up, do they?"

"Yeah! They wanna have revenge so bad." Patterson agreed. "Get the ladies inside! We'll arrange a mission once we determined where those shots come from."

"Affirmative." They board the truck and it began speeding to Alnus.

"That explosion was more powerful the moment we felt it." Lelei told them. "Whatever they have, I felt that some form of magic was in it."

"What?!" Gallahand was shocked. "So they somehow tapped the source of the magic?!"

"Probably."

"I wouldn't be surprised." Harvey commented. "Those same shots were exactly what they wanted: to terrorize the opposition using their superweapons."

"Excuse me. Superweapons?" Bozes wondered.

"Yeah. That attack was part of a program called the Wunderwaffe, or 'wonder weapons' in their language."

"How are we gonna stop it?!" Piña frantically asked. "We can't just sit here and do nothing!"

"That's why we have them on our side." Rory assured her on the OSS. "They'll sabotage that whatever weapon they are using and everything would be easy."

"'Sa-bo-tage.'" Panache began to wonder about the word. "What does that mean?"

"It means that we blow it up and make it unusable." Travers answered.

"I hope you can pull this off." Tuka said to Travers. "I'm getting worried."

"Don't worry, Tuka. We can do this." Travers replied which made Tuka feel a little better.

"Speaking of which, where is Manon?" Piña asked.

"She'll be a few in charge of the defense of the city." Patterson replied. "As long as we have our allies protecting the city and our skills, we can get through this rough time."

"Please do." Myui then nodded.

With that, a new chapter in the war in the Special Region began to unfold.

 _A/N: Surprise attacks are now covered. Next thing to do is to send delicious cookies to Greta. Also in the next chapters, there will be an Open Base Exhibit. So don't go anywhere._


	8. Chapter 8 - Return of a Menace

**(Alnus Hill - April 29, 1945, 1402 hrs.)**

The truck that was carrying Patterson's team, alongside Piña and some of her knights, arrived at the outer perimeter of the base after minutes of speedy driving. Bozes then noticed the sight of tents in the distance.

"Milady, look!" She said. "That's Alnus!"

"What?! Already?" Piña replied before she and Panache looked at the base. "What speed!"

Just then, three P-47s armed with bombs and rockets were flying to Italica in the distance. This surprised the nobles.

"What the..." Panache uttered. "They have iron vultures?!"

Then, a small convoy consisting of a Sherman, two Stuarts and a truck passed by, which surprised them even more.

"What are those?!" Bozes shouted. "Iron elephants with their babies?! Are they fighting?!"

"Calm down." Lelei assured. "Those are not animals."

"Huh?" The knights wondered.

"Those things are called by the OSS and the Germans 'tanks'." Lelei explained. "They are vehicles created to support their foot units during a war."

"Wait...so they aren't creatures at all?" Piña questioned.

"Correct, Your Highness. The birds you saw earlier were called 'airplanes' and they all come in different shapes and sizes. It takes a rider or more to use these depending on the model being used."

"So that means..."

"...we are dealing with armies that are much more capable than all of the armies here combined?" Bozes asked.

"Yes, apparently." Lelei finished.

"Not only that, Your Highness, we went through countless wars, evolving and adapting to the times." Travers continued. "So yeah, we have more experience."

The knights were scared by what Travers said. When they reached the inside of the base, the entire area was under high alert after what happened in Italica. Personnel and soldiers were scrambling to complete preparations for any counterattack. Almost everyone, except the driver, disembarked shortly after.

"Alright men, we are in a deep situation." Patterson said to his men. "Command is trying to locate where the source of the shots came from, so I'd expect it would be done by the start of nightfall."

"Yes, sir." Gallahand replied. "We'll be ready."

"Good."

Piña and her subordinates have no idea on what to do at the base. Then, Tuka made a suggestion.

"Why not we head for the refugee area while we take our time." She said. "There is food and some shelter there."

"You sure?" Piña asked.

"Yeah. They helped us before. So they can help you people too."

"I would love that." Then, Piña turned her attention to Panache and Bozes.

"You two."

"Yes, milady?" The two replied.

"Let's follow them."

They nodded before the girls head for the tents.

 **(Above Falmart - 1433 hrs.)**

Two P-38s were doing a recon mission to locate the suspected German weapon. One of them radioed Alnus to report their findings.

"We are at waypoint 4 and heading to waypoint 5 at bearing 300." The flight leader said. "Negative on suspected weapon."

"Affirmative." Command replied. "Proceed with your mission."

After a while, his subordinate found something.

"Boss, I found something." He reported.

"Get us a closer look, Jack." The leader requested.

"Affirmative."

When they got close to the suspected area, they were shocked.

"Holy...that's a K5!" He shouted at what he saw. "And...it's in a turret form?"

On the ground, the Germans began to open fire at the two planes.

"Boss, we need to take the pictures and run!" Jack suggested.

"Right!" They then got the photos under heavy fire and began to speed away.

 **(Alnus Hill - 1536 hrs.)**

Travers and Gallahand were having some ice cream in a mess hall while taking their time.

"Remember the time we had some of those after we won Normandy?" Travers asked.

"Yeah." Gallahand agreed. "Nothing more than some sweet-flavored treats to calm us down after a fight like that."

"Huhum." Travers nodded before eating.

"Speaking of which, what happened back at the beaches?" Gallahand asked. "The captain told me and some of us to stay put in case the Germans tried to attack from behind."

"Krauts with assault rifles and MG nests." Travers answered while referencing the Germans who are armed with StG-44s and the bunkers. "A whole lot of blood spilled before we even got rid of them."

"I see."

"Whew." Travers sighed. "We better get prepared for this. Find Harvey if you can for his ice cream."

"You got it." Gallahand agreed.

Suddenly, Harvey arrived with a disturbed face.

"Guys, we have what we came for." He said.

"What is it, then?" Travers asked. "Your ice cream is ready for you to eat."

"Thanks for that, but we have matters to worry."

"Then spill it out." Gallahand requested.

"Okay then. Those shots came from a giant gun somewhere northeast of Italica, estimated to be 27 miles away in the mountains."

"Holy..."

"That means Italica is within striking distance?!" Travers frantically asked.

"Unfortunately, yes." Harvey answered.

"That means we have to get going." Gallahand suggested before Patterson arrived.

"Men, we have work to do." Patterson said. "Time to strike back."

"Yes, sir." Travers replied.

 **(1545 hrs.)**

Every soldier from Patterson's unit arrived in the briefing tent to receive their orders. The officer arrived to describe the mission. As well, the projector was turned on to show the information.

"Gentlemen, this is the time that we have to hit the Germans hard while we still can. So we need to strike fast and efficiently."

He then proceeded to brief the men.

"Our recon planes have discovered a large reengineered K5 railway gun 27 miles northeast of Italica. It appears that the Germans have mounted it on a large turret, allowing the gun to move 360°. Furthermore, we believed that it was also meant to carry special shells in addition to its existing stockpiles. Our goal is simple: remove the gun and their strike means would be limited."

The next set of info were also shown.

"In addition, we have located AA positions, bunkers and anti-tank weaponry within the area. It would be helpful if you take them out as well to make the mission run much more smoothly. There is also the possiblity of elite troopers guarding the base, so joining us is an apostle who will provide you some help."

They then turned their attention to Rory, who just entered the tent. This surprised every soldier sitting.

"Thank you for allowing me to partake in the mission." Rory said before licking her lips.

"Guess the brass has invited you to join us in some bloodshed." Travers commented.

"Yeah, Boyd. I told them about myself and they were initially shocked."

"If that's the case, welcome aboard then." Patterson followed before the officer continued.

"If there aren't any questions, then you're dismissed. Alright, good luck."

Everyone stood up and began to head for the C-47s waiting for their arrival. The P-47 and P-51 squadrons then took off first as escorts before the C-47 followed. As well, Tuka, Lelei, Piña, Bozes and Panache were witnessing the aerial forces take-off for their mission.

"I pray for their sucess." Tuka uttered.

"Hope so." Lelei followed. "The fate of Italica is in their hands."

 **(Near the German base, Romalia Mountains - 1620 hrs.)**

On the way there, the C-47s were flying calmly towards the drop zone as some of the fighters broke formation to do a head start. Everyone was sitting with vigilance due to the threat of AA guns and possible German fighter patrols.

"You know, this will not be the first time I will be taking out a railgun." Patterson said.

"You sure, sir?" Harvey asked.

"Yes. Before, the Krauts have a railgun in Normandy. They called her 'Greta' and boy it does deal some serious wallop. At one point, I was doing undercover to get close to her."

"I found a railgun as well in Varsity." Travers told his story. "One time when we parachuted, there is one hiding in one of the factories. Probably it was just finished before the attack started."

"So that means we both have encounters with railguns, eh?"

"Yeah, for us."

"Excuse me, but what is a 'railgun'?" Rory asked.

"A 'railgun' is a large weapon designed to launch projectile attacks at long range." Patterson explained. "Originally, it was meant to be carried in railroad tracks, those long-lines-of-iron things. A contraption called a 'train' was meant to pull the weapon to its attack point. Not in this case though. It was modified to fire at a stationary position."

"Ooohh?"

"Anyway, we have our orders. Harvey, already have your rifle?"

"Yes, Lieutenant." Harvey replied. "I'll provide help with sniper support."

"Good. I'm counting on ya'."

Harvey nodded. Suddenly, flak and some AA fire slightly engulfed the surroundings.

"Ugh!" Gallahand uttered. "AA fire!"

"We know!" Travers shouted.

When the planes got near the base, a dogfight already ensued as Heimerich's unit engaged two patrol units consisting of Fw 190s and a few Bf 109s.

"This is Captain Solten, we are engaging enemy patrol units within the railgun area." He reported. "Fuller, Galten, take out the guns for them!"

"Copy that!" Fuller responded. "Engaging!"

"Roger that." Galten followed. "Moving to engage!"

The two planes then broke off to engage the AA units. Launching bombs and rockets, they dealt some considerable damage as some of the guns were useless. They took some hits in the process, though they are minor.

"AA guns taken out!" Fuller reported. "Only took minor damage."

Another pair then took aim at the remaining guns to clear the sky of AA fire. One plane was caught in flames.

"Damn, I'm hit!" One of them shouted.

"Cainen, bail out!" Fuller shouted and the pilot bailed as instructed.

"Osprey 1 to all craft, engage any defenses!" The P-51 leader ordered and the Osprey Squadron broke formation to engage.

Shortly after, red lights appeared in the C-47s.

"Alright men, stand up!" Patterson shouted. "Hook up, everyone!"

After they hooked up, Patterson's plane was hit and a right engine was losing some of its power.

"Rory, hang on to me!" Travers said.

"Alright, Boyd!" Rory replied and she hanged on to Travers' arms.

"Blake, how far are we to DZ?" Patterson asked the pilot.

"Fifteen seconds!" The pilot replied.

"Affirmative!"

He then turned his attention to Rory's prized halberd. It was too heavy to carry for an ordinary person so it was carried inside the plane.

"Get her halberd ready for the drop!" Patterson ordered.

As soon as the lights are in green, he signaled them to jump.

"Go, go, go! Let's get off the plane!"

One by one, each soldier jumped off the plane. Rory and her halberd followed suit. Once everyone reached the ground, they armed their weapons.

"Let's move forward!" Patterson shouted.

The soldiers then opened fire at any German soldiers and defensive nests. In one area, Harvey took cover to aim his sniper at some exposed German soldiers. He shot them with his Springfield. Using his scope and hand signals, he signaled the remaining soldiers to move carefully. As well, Rory moved ahead to clear any heavy resistance.

"Let's go!" One OSS soldier shouted. Then, Patterson turned his attention to Travers, Gallahand and Rory.

"Travers, get Gallahand and Rory to the railgun." He ordered.

"Umm...us, Lieutenant?" Travers asked.

"Yes, you three. Don't worry about us, just handle the gun."

"Affirmative. Rory? Gallahand?"

"I'm with you." Rory agreed.

"Right at ya'." Gallahand followed.

The three then head for the railgun. Under intense fire, they slowly cleared out the Germans. As well, Travers got hold of a StG-44 while Gallahand made use of the MP40. When they entered the turret perimeter, they slowly walked towards the gun. On the way there, they encountered a large number of Germans.

 _"Americans!"_ One shouted before the others opened fire.

"Take cover!" Boyd ordered and they stayed behind some concrete.

Gallahand then took hold of a grenade and began to throw it.

"Grenade!" He shouted before throwing it towards the Germans.

 _"Grenade! Take cover!"_ They ran and managed to escape the blast.

"Damn!" Travers uttered. "Cross, cover fire!"

"On it!" Gallahand replied.

Then Travers slowly went towards the opposition under cover while Gallahand opened fire at any exposed German. Travers opened fire at the remaining soldiers.

"Area clear, guys!" Travers confirmed.

"Way to go." Rory quietly praised.

The group moved forward again before stumbling on a stockpile of shells. This caught Gallahand by surprise.

"Guys, over here!" He shouted.

"Found something?" Rory asked.

"Yeah! Take a look at the shell."

The two then saw a shell with a blue-and-white recognition dye imprinted on the tip of the shell. Some German writings were also imprinted on the cases, which made Gallahand and Travers interested.

"Can you translate German?" Travers asked.

"I can." Gallahand said.

After looking at the writings, he has some answers.

"What does it say?" Rory asked. "C'moon, tell us!"

"From what I can tell, it mentioned 'magic-enhanced' shells." Gallahand explained. "It looks like the Krauts might have made contact with some local sorcerers."

"Probably bad ones." Travers guessed. "Guess that sums up everything."

"I have some Comp B we can use."

"Good. Just don't put them yet once the gun is armed with a charge."

Gallahand nodded and they proceeded to head for the gun. When they reached there, it was quiet, though the trio were vigilant.

"Be prepared, guys." Travers warned. "There might be elites here."

When they got close, two Storm Elite soldiers popped out from the other end with MG42s.

"Crud, take cover!"

 _"Open fire!"_

The trio were then under fire. Suddenly, Rory got excited.

"Uh, Rory, where are you going?" Travers wondered.

"Just trust me." She replied before running towards them.

 _"Who is that?!"_ One of the Elite soldiers asked as they began to shoot Rory.

"Rory!" Travers shouted.

She was hit with some bullets but her halberd slashed one Elite dead. She then turned her attention to another one and did the same. After that, she fell, shocking the two soldiers and forcing them to run towards her.

"Hell no! Rory!" Gallahand uttered.

"Don't die here!" Travers followed.

Suddenly, her wounds began to heal, which shocked the men even more. Almost immediately, the wounds are gone.

"Uggghhh...I told you to trust me." Rory uttered with a smile.

"Don't you dare surprise us like that!" Travers scolded before hugging her.

"Ummmhh...okay, okay then."

"You almost gave us a heart attack." Gallahand also scolded.

"Sorry about that." She apologized. "It come with being an apostle like me."

"I'm glad you are fine." Then Travers though of something.

"Okay, that settles that. Let's put Comp B on that and get home."

"Right." Gallahand agreed. "Rory, why not you help us with these?"

"Oooh, me?" Rory uttered. "Well, okay."

Travers and Gallahand gave Rory a short description on the usage of Comp B charges. After that, they put them on the loader and on any shells that are ready to be fired. Soon after, the stockpile included a Comp B charge as well. The trio then went to Patterson.

"Sir, stockpile and gun are ready to be armed with Comp B." Travers said.

"Good." Patterson praised. "Let's go home. I'll tell the others to withdraw from the area."

"Thank you, sir. Any ride out of here?"

"We found a motorpool. That's our ticket home."

Then, Harvey came.

"How's your sniping doing?" Travers asked.

"Doing well as usual." Harvey answered. "Encountered some fierce resistance but we did quick work of them."

"Whew!" Gallahand sighed. "Travers? Rory? The gun?"

"Oh, right. Let's finish this." Travers replied.

When they returned to the stockpile and gun, they armed the Comp B charges in a time-delay. Shortly after, they ran to the motorpool and drove away from the site. The charges detonated which caused not only the gun to collapse but also the shells to explode, effectively destroying the entire turret.

 **(Alnus Hill - 2030 hrs.)**

Nightfall came and the girls were waiting for Travers and his friends to return. Tuka was slouching on the table while Lelei came holding some food.

"Here is some food if you want." Lelei said. "Hope it makes you feel better."

"Yeah." Tuka replied. "Thank you, Lelei."

"What's wrong? Is something bothering you?"

"Uhmmm...well...it's because of Travers. I hope nothing happened to him."

Just then, the sound of horns filled the air as Patterson and his men arrived in stolen German trucks and cars.

"Yeeeee-haaawwww! We're back, everyone!" Gallahand shouted with enthusiasm.

"Huh? Travers?" Tuka wondered.

While many personnel greeted them on their success, Travers got out of the truck to meet with Tuka.

"Oh, Boyd." Tuka uttered. "I was afraid something bad happened to you and your friends."

"Nah, we're fine." Boyd replied. "Don't worry."

Tuka smiled after what Travers said. Lelei came forward to see him.

"Did you find something there?" Lelei asked.

"Yeah. Found out what the shells are and you are correct on what they are using."

"I hope I can be of assistance to you should you need some help."

"I appreciate it." Then, Harvey and Rory began calling him.

"Travers, ice cream's on us tonight!" Harvey shouted.

"Don't you want some?" Rory shouted. "I'm gonna try their flavors!"

"Okay! I'll be there."

Travers then turned back his attention to the girls.

"Would you like some ice cream?" He asked. "They're good."

"Sure." Tuka accepted.

"I'll be glad to see it." Lelei followed.

While they began heading for the mess hall, Piña was wandering around the base looking for something interesting. She then saw Boyd and his friends walking.

"What is he doing?" She wondered. "Did the OSS took out the source of the explosions in Italica?"

Patterson then arrived.

"How are you doing, Your Highness?" He asked.

"Well, I'm doing fine here." She replied. "By the way, how's your mission?"

"The weapon is taken care of. Italica would not suffer any more attacks for a long time."

"Thank you, Lieutenant."

Patterson nodded before switching to another topic.

"Come with us to the eating hall." He suggested. "We have a treat our world loves to eat for some time."

"What is it?" Piña asked.

"Ice cream, milady."

"'Ice-cream'." Piña wondered. "Is it edible?"

"It is. Don't worry. It's also good with different flavors applied."

The two then head for the hall for a treat.

 **(Sadera - 2305 hrs.)**

In the empty city streets, Zorzal El Caesar was wandering around looking for his contact after receiving a letter from one of the scouts.

"Humph! I wonder where that little rat is." He uttered.

When he passed through an alley, he heard a voice.

"Well, well, if it isn't the prince of the Empire." The male voice greeted him. "I'm so pleased to meet you."

"What the?!" Zorzal was surprised. "Who the hell are you?!"

"Ah, don't be alarmed." The voice assured him. "I'm no threat to you."

The voice then came from a middle-aged man with some gray hair. He was also wearing black clothing and a red band with a white cirlce and a strange sigil on his left arm.

"I would like to offer you a proposal." The man calmly said.

 _A/N: At last, the gun is down for good, at least for the moment._

 _Anyway, the story will move on north to other places that are covered in the manga or anime. If I would ask, you could write your request to put up other characters so that they could have some role to play. This could also make the story interesting._

 _See you later._


	9. Chapter 9 - Under the Blue Sky

**(Office of Strategic Services, London branch - May 1, 1945, 0614 hrs.)**

Various officers from different Allied nationalities arrived in one conference room to discuss the current situation in Europe. Among the issues to be discussed is future operations in the Special Region.

"You think that the Americans have something worth checking in the "gate" beyond Regensburg?" One officer from the Dutch Bureau Bijzondere Opdrachten asked. "They said that the S.S. are preparing a retaliatory attack from that particular area."

"Possibly." Another from the British Secret Intelligence Service or MI6 replied. "Thanks to the lads from the OSS, we should be able to surround the Germans in the Arctic."

"Let's hope so."

When the officers are assembled, Colonel Balton arrived to discuss the topics.

"Gentlemen, please calm down so that I can explain." He told the audience. "Now, I know why you are wondering about the so-called Special Region is a treasure trove for the Germans to experiment on. I'll tell you."

When the projector was turned on, it first revealed a map that was received a day earlier.

"From what we have discovered, the area beyond the Regensburg gate is essentially similar to medeval-era Europe. Included is a country called the Empire, which is similar to the Roman Empire. There are other nations as well. However, that world has some key differences."

"What are those differences?" An MI6 officer asked.

"Remember the dragons, dwarves and elves in fairy tales that our parents would always tell us when we are at our childhood? Well, they are real."

The officers were surprised.

"Even magic exists in that realm."

"Bloody hell!" The British uttered. "So the last part is what the Germans were after?!"

"Exactly." Balton agreed. "That's what the operatives encountered during their time there. As well, they are attempting to harness the magic and use it against us as weapons."

Many of the personnel stood silent by what Balton said.

"We also have the possibility of another one in the Arctic region based on the shipping routes and inventory lists we acquired. I would like to ask everyone to be on guard for any attacks. Berlin may have fallen into Soviet hands but that does not mean that the Germans are down without a fight."

 **(Alnus Hill - 0900 hrs.)**

A lone wagon was travelling across the path towards the sacred ground. An seemingly-old man without a left leg and arm was lying in the back, but was comfortable thanks to the pillows he received. He was also wearing an eye patch on his left eye.

"How far are we to Alnus?" He asked the owner, a merchant. "I need to see the so-called men in green."

"Don't worry." The merchant replied. "We'll be there shortly. I am also going there to deliver these goods to the settlement."

"I appreciate it." The old man nodded.

After a short while, they were close to the base.

"We're here." The merchant said.

"What the?" The man uttered as numerous green tents dotted the landscape. "This is Alnus?! How long had these tents sit in there?"

The wagon then got close to the base for entry. On the way inside, they were stopped by two men in green clothing at a roadside booth.

"Good morning, sir." One of them greeted while wearing an odd metal staff at the torso. "Mind if I ask what you are doing here?"

"Delivering goods, sir." The merchant answered. "I also have someone in the back."

"Your companion?"

"Well, kinda."

"Please remain seated while we conduct an inspection on your wagon." The green man told the merchant and other people like the former began to check the cart. It wasn't long before the old man was found at the back, alongside the merchant's goods.

"Holy...what happened to him?" The green man asked in shock.

"He was injured in a battle." The merchant explained. "He sustained injuries because of unusual magic. He lost his left arm and leg in the process."

"I need a stretcher!" The green man ordered.

"Yes, sir!" Another replied before running to get it.

"Stay calm, sir. You will continue once we have your companion in the hospital. Don't worry about him also."

"Uh, thank you sir." The merchant replied with some concern.

Once the old man was on his way to the hospital, the merchant went inside the base to drop his goods. The old man was still lying on the stretcher when he saw some more of the men in green outside and an unsual bird flying with an equally unusual noise. Just then, he saw a red-haired lady talking with one of the green men.

"No way." He thought. "Is that Emperor Molt's daughter?"

Piña was inquiring about the recent progress of the OSS in the Special Region with Lieutenant Patterson.

"How's the progress of your army going?" She asked.

"We still need to check out the other kingdoms to see if we can build an alliance, Your Highness." Patterson replied. "I bet these kingdoms would not treat us kindly if we don't do that. Finally, our planes and scouts are doing recon in all directions for possible heightened German activity."

"I see. I'll be watching your progress if your superiors allows me to."

Then, a Jeep arrived in the base. On it was Harvey at the front seat and Bozes at the back. They ran to Piña and Patterson.

"Sir, we have received a letter of response from the representatives of the various nations in the south." Harvey reported. "They said that they expressed interest in forging relations between us and them."

"They also said that they are coming here in the afternoon for a visit." Bozes followed. "I wonder why but I think that the actions in Italica might have inspired them to check the hill out, including what the OSS used."

"What the...? Patterson uttered.

"Here is the letter, milady." Bozes then gave the letter to Piña.

"Thank you, Bozes." Once Piña received the letter, she began to read it.

"It's true." Piña said while holding the letter. "They are coming here to visit."

"Guess that we have some visitors to cater." Patterson quietly said.

 **(0942 hrs.)**

Travers and Gallahand were preparing some vegetables for the lunch of the refugees. Gallahand was peeling potatoes while Travers was doing the raddish.

"Hey Boyd, how's Lelei doing?" Gallahand asked. "Did she has some improvements with her magic and condition?"

"She's doing fine, actually." Travers replied. "Ever since I taught her the basic principles of explosives, she managed to create powerful spells based on that."

"Hehehe. And the part when one guy got splashed by coffee by accident?"

"You heard what he said?" Travers asked.

"Yep." Gallahand answered.

 **(Flashback)**

 **(Firing range - April 30, 1945, 1328 hrs.)**

In the firing range, Lelei was tutored by Travers regarding explosives.

"So by the start of the Great War, the nations in your world extensively used gunpowder for your battles?" Lelei asked Travers.

"Yeah." He answered. "We use bladed weaponry on rare occasions, mainly on close-quarter combat. Right now, lot's of fire had torched the frontlines instantaneously in some cases. People can smell the burnt air whenever they fire a shot. And tanks, ships and airplanes prowled the battlefield like predators, stalking for their prey."

"I see." Lelei nodded. "No wonder so many people died because of those advances."

"It's not always like that. Many technological wonders are originally invented for peaceful purposes but in times of war, some might use it against nations, society, among other things. And here we are right now, in the Second World War. Except it's going to end in a few weeks, maybe months."

"So, can we start practicing my sorcery?"

"Yeah, we better."

Travers then pointed at a captured German truck Patterson's team used the night during the raid on the modified K5 railway gun.

"You see that truck?" He asked Lelei. "Try blowing it up using what I told you."

"Alright."

She then began to perform the spell. Magic circles began to appear on the ground, which surprised Travers.

"Wow." He uttered.

Not far from the range, one officer was having a cup of coffee. When he found out that the creamer in his post has ran out, he decided to get some from the mess hall. On the way, he met Patterson.

"Ran out of creamer, I see sir?" Patterson asked.

"Yeah." The officer replied. "I kinda forgot to refill the container last night."

"You better. Not everyone could survive the night shift without going to sleep."

"I guess. But if I were to take the nigh..."

Just then, a large boom engulfed the nearby areas. When the officer and Patterson found out, the former turned around quickly to see it. In the process, he accidentally spilled his coffee on his clothes.

"YYYYOOOOOOWWWW!" He uttered. "My coffee! it's too damn painful!"

"Here, let me help." Patterson offered assistance. "I have some cold water."

"Oh, thank you...oooowwww." Patterson then got hold on his canteen to pour water on the officer's affected skin.

"Just stay still." Patterson said. "Remember why you are part of the OSS."

At the range, Travers was surprised by what happened. The area where the truck once stood was now reduced to a crater as Lelei destroyed it.

"Talk about overpowered!" Travers uttered. "It looks like a bomb just blew it up!"

"Sorry if I caused some inconvenience." Lelei apologized. "The power of the explosion has made me used some of my magic."

Then, Lelei was feeling unstable.

"Uhh...Boyd..." Then she began to fall, which caused Travers to catch her.

"Here you go." Travers quietly said to her. "I got ya'."

"...ummmm..."

"I better get you back." Travers uttered as he began to carry her to her room.

 **(End of flashback)**

"Were you disciplined because of what happened yesterday?" Gallahand asked.

"No, apparently." Travers answered. "After finding out what happened, the top brass were discussing the possibility of what the Germans could do with the magic, assuming they could figure out the spells. It was an accidental discovery that could put us and this world at risk."

"That means we better have to wait for the recon shots before we could get the Krauts again."

Travers nodded before Patterson arrived.

"Excuse me, you two." He said.

"Yes, sir." They replied.

"May I interrupt what you are doing for a while?"

 **(1555 hrs.)**

A convoy arrived with delegates from the southern nations. To their surprise, they saw things only a select few from this world has ever seen.

"What are these things?" One from the League Principality asked. "How does it even work?"

"I don't know." Another from the Kingdom of Elbe answered. "From what the survivors told us, they said they don't have horses to move. Plus, they didn't move even an inch while attacking and still the allied armies are decimated."

"If that's the case, I wonder what sorcery made this possible."

"Indeed." The other nodded.

Just then, Patterson and Lelei arrived to greet the guests.

"Good afternoon, delegates." Patterson said. "I am Lieutenant James Steven Patterson of the Office of Strategic Services and I hope you have a comfortable time here because we are giving you people a tour."

The delegates are confused by what he said but thanks to Lelei as translator, they would be able to get the meaning.

"He said good afternoon to you." Lelei said. "The man beside me is Lieutenant James Steven Patterson of the other world's Office of Strategic Services, a unit dedicated to stealing battle plans, special warfare and interruption of enemy movement. He also said that you could enjoy your time here in a tour."

"No wonder the different insignias are on those beasts." One delegate agreed.

"Follow me." Patterson told the delegates.

"...he said." Lelei echoed and the delegates head for their first part of the tour.

"As you see here, we operate differently compared to this world." Patterson explained. "For thousands of years, our civilization evolved from survival in harsh climates to creating permanent homes for our people. So does warfare; it also evolved for years to where we are now."

"...he said."

"What?!" Everyone uttered by what the tourguides said.

"Th-thousands of years?!" A delegate from the Kingdom of Mudwan exclaimed. "How can that be?!"

"Evolution, my lord." Lelei answered.

"Let's continue." Patterson reminded.

Then then reached the firing range, where a variety of weapons are laid on a large table, from an M1911 to a Panzerschreck. Travers and Gallahand were the demonstrators for the delegates.

"Welcome everyone to the firing range." Travers greeted. "I am Boyd Travers and this is my companion, Gallahand Cross."

"...he said."

"What a strange name for this area." A delegate commented.

"Let's begin."

Standing near the table, Travers began to show them the weapons.

"What you saw are not an oddity to us. These are weapons that redefined current warfare." Travers explained. "These weapons are called 'guns', and the last one at your right is called a 'rocket launcher'."

The delegates expressed their curiosity.

"How does this work?"

"Simple. An item called a 'bullet' is fired from the 'gun'." Lelei continued while holding a dummy bullet. "The bullet is filled with explosive magic, or 'gunpowder', that would fire a bronze tip. Then, it's filled in a box called a 'magazine'. After, it is given to their soldiers to fire."

"So wait, are the soldiers mages?" Asked a delegate.

"No, they aren't. They were trained to handle that."

"Mind if I do a demonstration?" Travers asked the delegates.

He got hold of an M1911 and began aiming at a bullseye.

"Cleared hot!" Travers shouted before firing the pistol. The noise scared the guests.

"ARRRGHH! The noise!" One shouted.

"They are indeed powerful!" Another followed. "This is their power!"

"What have we done?!" The third uttered.

After that, Gallahand joined in to do the demonstration for other weapons. After a large amount of bullets were fired, the duo decided to end the gun demonstration.

"Cease fire!" Gallahand shouted before stopping.

The delegates were still shocked by the demonstration.

"Now, let's head for the explosives demonstration" Gallahand said before grabbing a hand grenade. "Unlike 'guns', the way explosives are unleashed depends of the weapon being used. What I'm holding is a 'grenade'."

"Gre-nade." Lelei translated.

"It is mainly designed to take out a group of soldiers. However, once you pulled a safety pin, you have just a moment to throw it at your targets."

"Wait...a moment?" A delegate asked.

"Yes." Lelei answered. "Otherwise, it can kill you."

The delegates were surprised. Then, Gallahand began tossing the grenade.

"Grenade out!" He shouted before throwing at cutouts of soldiers. It landed beside them before exploding. As expected, the guests were surprised.

"Now, before we move on to the next weapon, I would advise everyone not to touch the items on the table for safety." Gallahand warned. "It's dangerous and they are not toys."

"...he said."

Just then, Harvey ran towards the demonstration.

"Guys, recon has spotted something!" He reported.

"German movement?" Gallahand asked.

"Yeah. Patterson is requesting us to go to the briefing tent immediately."

"Let's go, then." Travers agreed. "Lelei, find someone to continue with the demonstration."

"I will, Travers." She replied.

"Excuse us, but we have some work to do." Gallahand apologized to the delegates. "Someone will take over from here."

"...he said."

The trio then ran towards the tent.

 **(1639 hrs.)**

The unit then arrived in the tent. Rory was also there to hear the briefing. Shortly after, an officer arrived.

"Alright everyone." He greeted "Now that the gun is gone for now, we may now launch an offensive deep in Nazi territory."

He then began to show the info.

"We spotted a large concentration of ground units held in a city called Rondel, just across the Romalia Mountains. Due to this, we may assume that they are heading further south past Italica and then attack Alnus and beyond. For this reason, we are going to launch a night raid in the city via low-level paradrop. Air cover will be provided to help free the area but to do that, we must first take out their AA guns and severe any communication links present. There is also a motorpool nearby so sabotage any fuel supplies and unoccupied tanks. Once done, we will be sending ground units to secure the city."

He then began to finish the briefing.

"We are doing quite well here, so do your best in maintaining our combat effectiveness. We move out in two hours. Dismissed."

 **(1845 hrs.)**

The C-47 planes began preparations for take-off as the first set of fighters left ahead to clear out the enemies. As Boyd and his friends began to board, Tuka arrived.

"Tuka, what are you doing here?" Boyd asked.

"I just wondering if you could use this." Tuka said before giving him a dragon scale.

"What is this?"

"It's a dragon scale from the one you killed. It's a reminder on how you saved us that day. I hold it dearly."

"Thank you for giving this to me." He replied.

"You're welcome. Please, stay safe."

"I will." Then, Tuka left before Rory shouted to call him.

"C'mon, Boyd! We have to move!" She reminded.

"Okay, I'm coming!" He replied.

After that, the planes left for their mission. While Piña was walking around the base, a soldier came towards her.

"Excuse me, Your Highness?" The soldier asked.

"What is it?" Piña asked.

"Follow me to the hospital. Someone wants to see you."

"Who could it be?"

"I don't know, milady. But he did say that he knows you to some extent."

Piña was suddenly surprised by what he said.

"Wait. What does he look like?" She asked.

"He has lost a left arm and a leg." He explained. "There is also an eyepatch on his left eye."

"It can't be!" Piña thought. "King Duran of Elbe?!"

 _A/N: Before I move on, there are few things I would like to tell._

 _Thanks to an issue pointed out by Kamzil118 that C4s didn't exist until the 1950s, I changed it into the more appropriate Comp B charges. So expect them as we go along as well as the previous chapters. Otherwise, it was a minor change since they are all explosives._

 _Anyway, this chapter is the start of the OSS offensive in the Special Region, so lead and gunpowder will fill the air._

 _See ya'._


	10. Chapter 10 - The City of Magic

**(Alnus Hill - May 1, 1945, 1850 hrs.)**

Piña was following an OSS soldier towards the hospital after learning that someone claimed that he knows her. She was unsure of who to expect as she thought that the person is the king of Elbe based of what the soldier described. When she reached the hospital, she was surprised to see personnel tending the wounded after their missions with things she didn't see before.

"Stay calm, milady." The soldier assured. "We're almost there."

After reaching the king's quarters, she nodded in gratitude. The soldier saluted back before leaving. She then saw Duran lying in his bed comfortably.

"I was expecting you would come." He said to her.

"Y-your Highness!" Piña uttered. "I didn't know you are coming here."

"Sorry to interrupt you in times like this. I was just here to get a look at the newcomers after hearing the testimony of some of the citizens."

"You mean the OSS?"

"That's their name?" Duran asked.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Piña answered nervously. "And they are different to the ones with the iron cross."

"I see. So what the people told me is true."

Duran then began to think of another topic.

"Piña, there is something I want you to listen." He requested.

"What is it, then?" She replied.

 **(Rondel - 1938 hrs.)**

Patterson was scanning the ground looking for Rondel. He then began to ask Rory if the information she told during the flight is correct.

"Rory, from what you said earlier, does it mean that the city is what the Germans are after due to it being a center of magic and research?" Patterson asked.

"Correct." Rory agreed. "Originally, the city was built by the gods of study and knowledge, La and Elange, during their time as apostles. Eventually, would-be masters came there to study and show recent discoveries."

"Let's hope that they didn't steal much information from there."

The C-47s were under fire shortly after entering German-held Rondel's outskirts. The American fighters were constantly fighting the German Bf 109s and Fw 190s while evading fire from multiple sources.

"Say hello to Rondel, boys!" Rory shouted with enthusiasm.

"Mac, get us lower!" Patterson requested.

"Roger, sir!" The pilot replied before the planes began their descent. He turned on the red light to signal the paratroopers to prepare for the drop.

"Everyone, stand up!" Patterson shouted. "Hook up!"

Just as his subordinates hooked up, a shot from a Flak 88 hit the left side of the cockpit, injuring the pilot.

"AAAARRGH!" He uttered. "Dammit! My arm!"

"Lieutenant, we have an injured pilot!" The co-pilot reported. "We need help!"

Patterson noticed the injured pilot and began to head for the cockpit to take control of the plane, which was slightly off-course due to the impact of the shot. Some soldiers helped him tend the pilot at the back before Patterson took control.

"I didn't know you could fly a plane." Travers commented.

"Well, I honed my skills with other birds in my previous years of service." Patterson replied. "It's a long story."

Then, Patterson began to order Travers.

"Travers, you'll lead the attack from here." He said.

"But what about you, sir?" Travers asked.

"I'll get the plane and the pilot home. Don't worry about us. You showed bravery before. I know you can."

Travers was having a hard time coming to terms with the situation.

"Travers, it's gonna be fine." Gallahand assured.

"Yeah, we have your back." Harvey followed.

"So do I." Rory finished. "We'll get through this."

"Thanks, guys." Travers said in reply.

As soon as the plane was on the drop zone, Patterson switched the lights to green. Travers, with renewed confidence, began to order the men now in his command to jump.

"Go, go, go! Let's give 'em hell!"

The paratroopers then got off the plane as Patterson began to steer the plane to safety. Braving through the AA fire, the men slowly descend towards the rooftops for an advantage. Once there, they assemble towards Travers to receive the orders.

"Listen up! We have a number of objectives here to accomplish. I need three men to go with Cross towards the motorpool and sabotage fuel depots and tanks."

"You got it, chief." Gallahand agreed.

"Erston, get at least four men with you and sabotage communications. Provide cover fire and relay targets to our birds above if you can as well."

"Affirmative." Harvey complied.

"The rest will stay with me and take out the AA and any vehicles, tanks and trucks. Rory, watch out for any enemy elite units nearby."

"It will be my pleasure, Boyd." Rory agreed before giggling.

"Move out!" Travers shouted and the team split to complete the objectives.

On Gallahands side, they encountered some heavy German resistance.

"Damn, they're putting up one hell of a fight!" Gallahand commented while firing his StG-44.

"Sure is!" One soldier agreed. "I wonder why they are amassing a good number of their experienced men here."

"Didn't you hear?! The city is all about magic and knowledge!"

Just then, a German soldier was about to fire his G43 at Gallahand from a nearby balcony.

"Cross, look out!" An OSS soldier warned.

He then quickly spotted the soldier before evading the bullets. He fired back at the German and quickly killed the flanker.

"Thanks for spotting that bugger." Gallahand commended.

The soldier nodded before firing at the enemies in front of them. Grenades and bullets were exchanged for a short while. Then, the OSS cleared the area of resistance before resuming their navigation to the motorpool.

"Whoever built this city has a lot of explainin' to do." One soldier commented regarding the nature of the city. "It looks like they built a maze or something."

"Yeah, I agree." Gallahand replied.

On Harvey's side, they already encountered similiar resistance as they close in on the communications equipment. Using his Garand, he shot three Germans before the magazine clip was spent.

"Reloading!" He shouted.

"Sir, there is a building that leads to their communication post." One scout reported. "We can take that area."

"Is there any Germans within that path?"

"Just light resistance. It could take a bit longer to reach the post but we would have little trouble using that."

"Affirmative." Harvey agreed. "Everyone, follow me!"

As the men began to move to the building, some provided cover fire. In the process, one German began to toss a grenade towards them.

 _"Grenade out!"_ The German shouted before tossing it but it missed its mark before exploding.

On Travers and Rory's side, they already reached one of the AA guns after encountering some tough resistance. They found some S.S. officers within the German ranks and the two sides began shooting at each other.

"Rory, see those guys in black uniforms with a red band on their left?" Travers asked Rory.

"Yeah, I did." She replied.

"Those are one of the guys to watch out for, the elite of the Schwarze Wespe and of the Germans. Take them out."

"On it."

While Boyd stayed behind to shoot, Rory, taking advantage of her status as an apostle, began slashing the officers with her halberd. Many of the Germans were surprised by what they saw, but only for a brief moment before being shot dead.

"Alright!" Travers said. "This area's clear. Put some Comp B on that ack-ack."

Once the charge was armed and in place, Travers' team left to head for the other AA guns. In the process, the charge detonated, rendering the gun useless. Gallahand's team then reached the motorpool after a while.

"There's the fuel tanks!" Gallahand confirmed. "Shoot 'em!"

Some of the soldiers began unleashing bullets at the fuel tanks. While both sides continued opening fire, the fuel tanks exploded shortly after. Then, a soldier found two empty Panzer IVs on the right.

"Cross, look!" He told Gallahand. "Two empty tanks."

"Alright. Thanks for the heads-up." Gallahand replied before running to add Comp B charges.

"Cover fire, now!" The soldier ordered

Gallahand and a fellow soldier armed the charges on the tanks. They escaped before the charges destroyed the medium tanks. Then, another Panzer IV showed up. This one was manned.

"Get out of here!" Gallahand shouted. "Tank incoming!"

The tank aimed its guns at the retreating OSS soldiers. It fired one shot but it missed.

"Dammit!" Gallahand uttered. "Not now!"

Then, the tank began aiming for Gallahand. He sprinted to shake the aim off. While doing so, he fired at the German soldiers. Suddenly, he charged towards the tank which is about to finish the turn of the turret.

 _"Where is the target?!"_ The tank commander asked.

 _"He's gone, sir."_ The gunner replied.

 _"Someone find him!"_

Unknown to the crew, he slipped behind it. As one of the crew popped out from the tank, Gallahand shot him with his pistol. This surprised the others inside as Gallahand began to arm another Comp B charge. He ran before the charges exploded, killing everyone inside.

"That should be the last of that." Gallahand hoped.

In the area where the communication post was set up, the Germans were losing men faster since Harvey used his Springfield to shoot machine gun nests and any flanking areas. His men then stormed the building, firing bullets and tossing grenades at the opposition. Harvey then ran to the relay.

"Sir, area clear." The soldier reported.

"Good work." Harvey replied. "Now let's..."

Suddenly, another soldier rushed towards Harvey to report something.

"Sorry to interrupt, but we have a problem." The soldier said.

"What is it, McHaller?" Harvey asked.

"We intercepted information that reinforcements are coming. Plus, there are soldiers and officers in a building."

"Can you tell me where?"

"From what I heard, he said that 'any available soldiers assemble at the meeting hall'. Reinforcements would arrive from the north as well."

Harvey thought before he noticed a large conical building with two columns on the roof.

"That building must be where they are, judging by the size and the two columns of the conical roof." Harvey guessed while pointing at the suspected structure. "Let's move. Get some of the men to man the radios and relay our aircraft to engage the reinforcements."

"Affirmative, sir." McHaller agreed before returning to his objectives. Then, the sound of large explosions signal the end of the German AA guns.

"Guess Travers, Rory and Gallahand finished in the nick of time." Harvey commented.

 **(Near Rondel - 2003 hrs.)**

Nearby, a flight of five A-20 Havocs and six P-38 Lightnings were approaching the city to launch the planned air support. The Havoc commander, Antonio Gonzales, began radioing his flight to prepare.

"Alright, guys. We're approaching the city so stay sharp." He said before a radio transmission was picked up.

"This is Sergeant Lancke of the OSS strike force in Rondel, we are reporting enemy reinforcements from the north." The soldier said. "Requesting air support."

"Copy that, we're proceeding." Antonio replied before reaching the city. "Alright, let's get to business. Everyone, break!"

When the airplanes broke formation, they scanned the ground with the help of landing lights on the Lightnings. After locating a German convoy filled with tanks, transport trucks and half-tracks, the planes proceeded to fire.

"Bombs away!" Antonio shouted as he released his bombs. The bombs managed to hit the front tank.

"Nice shot, boss." A subordinate commended. "Now its my turn."

"Go ahead."

Back on the ground, Harvey and his team was outside the hall when Travers, Rory and Gallahand arrived.

"You got the message?" Harvey asked the three.

"Yeah, we did." Travers answered.

"So did I." Gallahand followed.

"Then let's move in and fight back." The team then entered the building to clear out the Germans.

"There's an Elite!" Travers uttered. "Get him!"

Rory suddenly dashed towards the soldier as the MG42-wielding man began firing. Unfortunately, he was slashed to death after unleashing almost half of his bullets.

"Go! Go!" Harvey ordered and the team moved on.

Room after room, hallway after hallway, the Germans were slowly being killed. After a while, it seems that the building is free of hostilities.

"Guess that's all of them?" Rory wondered.

Then, footsteps were heard. The team noticed them.

"Looks like we have a couple of rats still here." Gallahand commented.

"Alright. Everyone, split up and triple-check." Travers ordered. "Meet us outside."

"On it, Travers." Harvey complied. "We'll do."

Travers was searching at one of the explored hallways. He then heard some glass being shattered and some crunching noise from one room. After noticing the commotion, he went to the source. He then discovered a Waffen officer searching on a table. Travers stayed quiet to not attract attention.

"What is that Kraut doing when all of his friends are Swiss-cheesed?" Travers wondered quietly while looking "Better think of something."

He then got hold of his pistol and began to aim it. The German noticed and began to arm his as well.

"Oh shoot!" Travers uttered and took cover as the officer fired his bullets.

The officer then proceeded to find Travers while keeping his weapon armed. Just as he was about to look at the left, Travers began to charge.

"HHHHAAAAARRRRGGGH!"

The two were locked in a fist fight. The soldier punched the German in the head. The the opposite happened on the abdomen. Kicking also occured. Boyd dodge the attacks while the German began to take the beating. After a couple of minutes, it looks as if both men are going to be knocked out. Suddenly, the German grabbed hold on his pistol and fired a bullet at one of his pockets.

"AAARRGHH!" Travers shouted as his hands began to touch the impacted pocket.

Suddenly, he surprised the German as he got hold on the dragon scale from the pocket. The officer was frozen with shock as his pistol began shaking.

"Guess I have some surprises." Travers said as he began to knock out the German with a punch. The German was laid flat on the floor.

"Okay, that's that." Travers quietly said as he began to search the room for the item the officer was trying to find.

After a short while, he noticed a book. He began reading it and noticed something.

"Hmmh...why would an officer want the book full of spells?" He wondered. "They are just a bunch of unproven techniques. Unless..."

He put the book in safe keeping and before he left, he noticed a young woman with brown hair and laying on the wall. Travers got close to her and noticed she was unconscious.

"I better get her out of here." Then, he carried her to safety outside where the rest of his team were waiting.

"Why did you brought a girl with you?" Harvey asked.

"Unconscious. Probably from that officer I just knocked his lights out a while ago." Travers answered.

"Anyway, what did you find in the hall?" Rory asked.

"Found a book, full of spells which were a failure." Travers explained. "I decided to bring it with me, just in case the Krauts might perfect it."

"That's a good thing you did." Harvey agreed.

Then, two C-47s arrived with the paratroopers. As men began to descend towards the city, American tanks and trucks arrived to support the efforts.

"Looks like our job is done, guys." Gallahand said. "Let's go home for now."

"Right." Rory agreed.

"...after we make sure that the Krauts didn't touch any research papers or spells." Travers finished.

Rondel was free, but it will take a while before the peace can be restored.

 **(Alnus Hill - May 3, 1945, 0833 hrs.)**

Travers' team and the unconscious girl took more than a day to return home as the C-47s carrying them landed on the dirt runway. Patterson, Tuka, Lelei, Piña, and Bozes were waiting near the unoccupied P-47s. As the planes stopped, the men disembarked to get some needed rest.

"How's your first time acting as a leader, Travers?" Patterson asked.

"Did well, sir." Travers replied.

"Good. I knew you can do it. I'm counting on ya'."

"Thank you, sir."

Then, Bozes rushed to Harvey with something.

"Are you okay?" She asked Harvey.

"I'm fine." Harvey answered. "Nothing to worry about."

"I'm glad that you returned here safely. Please, I have something back at the tents."

"What? Really?"

The two walked away as Travers and Patterson were just saw what happened.

"Do you think that young knight is attached to Harvey?" A confused Patterson asked. "I'm starting to think that she is in love."

"Ummm...Probably." Travers replied before Tuka came.

"I so glad you came back." Tuka expressed her relief before hugging.

"Yeah, as always." Travers replied. "That scale you gave me saved my life that day."

"Really? Thanks."

"No problem."

Suddenly, Piña arrived with some news.

"What do you got, milady?" Travers asked.

"There is someone who wants to see you." Piña responded. "It's the King of Elbe, His Majesty Duran."

"Wait!" Travers uttered. "A king?!"

"Yes, my good sir. He expressed some interest in you."

Travers nodded before he decided to see him.

"Guys, I'll see him." He said to his friends. "See ya'."

"You, too." Tuka responded before Travers and Piña left to see Duran.

"Stay calm Boyd and good luck!" Patterson followed.

 **(0840 hrs.)**

The two then reached Duran's room where he was waiting for Travers.

"I believe you are Boyd Travers, correct?" Duran asked the soldier.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Travers replied calmly. "I am ths soldier you are looking for."

"Good, because I wanted to ask you something."

"What is it?"

Duran took a short breath before moving on with his question.

"Are you responsible for the death of the flame dragon?"

"Yes, Your Majesty." Travers confirmed. "I was the one who killed it, alongside my allies."

"So it is true." Duran sighed. "Now that the beast is slain, I beleive that we can reach an agreement."

"Come again?"

"What?!" Piña was shocked.

"Would you mind if we propose an alliance with the Kingdom and your army?" Duran asked. "I believe that we can do great things."

Travers was having a hard time deciding but due to the nature of the proposal, he agreed to give it a shot.

"You got yourself an ally, Your Majesty." Travers replied before shaking Duran's hand.

"Good thinking, my boy." Duran replied.

Piña stood speechless but she still have her resolve.

"Maybe the land has a chance end the crisis once and for all." Piña thought. "There could be hope."

 **(0901 hrs.)**

After the meeting, Travers went to see the girl who he rescued back in Rondel. She was still resting on her bed when he came. Surprisingly, Lelei was also there.

"I thank you for rescuing my sister." Lelei said to Travers. "Without her, I don't know what would happen."

"Wait. She is your sister?" Travers asked with some confusion.

"Indeed. Her name was Arpeggio."

"That's a good name." Lelei then nodded.

"Before, we had some disagreements over who is stronger. There are magic battles to test our abilities but neither of us wanted to harm each other. Also, she still cares for me, giving me some precious things."

"I see." Travers was feeling some sadness. "No wonder."

"Anyway, from now, things would be different than before." Lelei declared.

"Let's hope it does, Lelei." Travers agreed. "Let's all hope it does."

Travers gave her a comforting pat and the young mage smiled.

 _A/N: Now that Rondel is done, the next offensive would take somewhere northeast. Also, I was planning to add some of the other allied agencies to the fight, but the OSS will be the leader in the fight of the Special Region Front._

 _Peace._


	11. Chapter 11 - Joint Declaration

**(Above the Arctic - May 4, 1945, 1212 hrs.)**

A lone Royal Air Force Mosquito was performing a reconnaissance mission at high altitude searching for the suspected German base with the rumored tunnel like the one in Regensburg. Inside, the crew were flying calmly as they are approaching the next waypoint.

"How far are we right now to the next waypoint?" The pilot asked.

"We're right about...here." The navigator replied. "Alright, we should be above the base right now."

"Okay, then. Let's get the photos and be home on time for some nice hot meals."

After preparing the cameras, they took photographs of the area before returning back. Then, flak fire filled the air.

"Whoops! Looks like they were expecting us." The pilot commented. "Time to bug out."

The plane left the scene with some little damage. Thankfully, they got hold of the invaluable photos they took.

 **(Alnus Hill - May 6, 1945 - 0826 hrs.)**

Patterson and his colleagues are hearing a briefing regarding the info they have collected back on their world. Princess Piña was also there to hear it.

"As you can see here, this is the suspected German base there in the Arctic norteast of Greenland." The officer said. "We still don't know about the nature of the base, but we can assume it could be heavily-guarded and it could house the rumored tunnel to the Special Region. We will be sending a raiding party lead by Lieutenant Holt to check it out once approval is received. Furthermore, Agent Batiste will have an extended stay for two more weeks to bolster the troops here. Alright, dismissed."

Everyone left the briefing room. Then, Patterson went to Holt to say some encouraging words before the latter leaves for home.

"Good luck out there kicking their asses, Holt." Patterson said to him. "We couldn't win here without your fancy raid."

"You too, Patterson." Holt replied. "Tell the Krauts here I said hello."

"Hehehehe. Alright, I'll see ya'." Then, Holt nodded before boarding a truck back to Regensburg.

Piña was still wondering about the possible tunnel in their world.

"Two gates? How? How is it possible?" Then, Travers came.

"What's wrong, milady?" Travers asked.

"Well, that gate thing spooked me when your superior mentioned that another tunnel like the one in your world appeared.". Piña admitted. "Coupled by the war you are fighting, I'm afraid that we would be the one suffering more."

"Don't you worry, milady. We will do everything in our power to minimize casualties."

Piña felt a bit relieved.

"I thank you for your encouraging words." Travers then nodded.

After a while, Travers was looking at the magical tunnel while enjoying its beauty. Then, Tuka came to him.

"Hey, Travers." Tuka called.

"What is it?" He responded.

"Is there anything on the other side? I just wanna know."

Travers was feeling a bit nervous on what to say.

"Well...beyond that tunnel lies another world where technology and progress put our civilization to great lengths." Travers answered.

"Ooooh. I see."

"Unfortunately, so does a scarred land left by war."

"What?!" Tuka was shocked.

"There are madmen in some kingdoms, taking leadership for absurd and selfish gains. It gripped our world in fear and eventually, war."

"Is...is there hope?"

"Yeah. There is a silver lining."

Tuka was suddenly relieved.

"Really?"

"Yup." Travers assured. "And we are resisting those madmen without fear. They are now on the losing end and they are desparate. I believe, we can change for the better. And here will be their last safe haven."

"I'm so glad to hear what you said." Tuka said while shedding some tears. "Thank you."

"Maybe I can show you the wonders of our world." Travers responded, which made Tuka excited.

Then, Harvey came along with Bozes.

"I was thinking you would go somewhere." Harvey said.

"You know what I was doing?" Travers asked.

"Yup. A little remembrance wouldn't hurt."

"Your friends are just looking for you." Bozes told Travers. "They are getting a bit unconfortable by your absence."

"Thanks for telling me about it." Travers replied.

Just then, a noise filled the tunnel. Bozes and Tuka were surprised but the former began clinging to Harvey's arms as the noise gets louder.

"Uwwwwhhha...what is that noise?!" Bozes asked frantically.

"This sounds a bit different." Tuka wondered. "I wonder what are those inside."

Then, tanks exited the tunnel in a row. They are all different compared to the American models and both featured a different symbol.

"HYAAAA! More of the iron elephants have arrived?"

"Don't worry, Bozes." Harvey assured her. "Those are our allies, the British."

"What?"

The British Churchill and Valentine tanks, followed by their trucks, stopped after exiting the tunnel. A Churchill tank commander popped outside to greet the people.

"Salutations, lads." The commander greeted with a wave. "It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you as well." Travers replied before the girls felt relieved. "Care to join us?"

"I would love to. First, we have to park our tanks before we can get ourselves something to drink."

"Alright." Harvey agreed. "We'll be there."

The commander nodded before ordering his crew to move. The tanks following him moved as well. Bozes felt baffled by what she saw.

"Uh...who are they with their emblems?" She asked.

"Well, they come from the country of England." Travers explained to her. "Before our country joined the fight, England is one of a handful of kingdoms that wasn't under German control. They fought bravely and since the Germans lost a lot of planes early on, they just gave up invading."

"Wooaahh."

"Better yet, despite their small size, the British were great innovators." Harvey continued. "They can know where the German planes are before they even dropped a single bomb."

"What?! So they are prophets?!"

"Well, kinda."

"It's amazing that your allies can do great things." Tuka commented. "Your world could be more amazing if we can go there."

"Yeah." Travers replied. "Anyway, we better go somewhere else."

"Humm...yep." Tuka said.

"Right at ya'." Harvey agreed before the four began moving away.

Then, a convoy containing a Jeep and the knights of the Rose-Order led by Grey arrived. This caught Travers and the group by surprise as they kept on looking.

"Well, Myui is here." Harvey commented.

Myui then went out of the Jeep first followed by Manon as her escort.

"I guess this is the place of the men in green?" Myui asked.

"Yes it is, Myui." Manon agreed. "This is where we are stationed, our home for this world."

"Thank you for bringing me here, Manon." Myui then hugged her.

"Your welcome."

Travers broke off to meet with Manon.

"Looks like you arrived just in time for some new visitors." Travers greeted the two.

"Those British tanks were the sign that the commanders are taking the threat very seriously." Manon replied. "I can't wait that we could kick their butts here together."

"Yeah, you too."

He then began to greet Myui.

"How's your first visit here, milady?" He asked.

"It's nice here, actually." Myui replied. "Manon told me about the OSS allies in their world and by the time we reached here, I have nothing to fear."

"Nice. Just stay calm." He assured her. "We are at your side."

Myui smiled after those words. The knights Grey and Hamilton then went to Bozes for some information.

"How's the princess doing, Bozes?" He asked.

"We are just wondering about how you people are doing." Hamilton followed.

"She's doing well here." Bozes replied. "So far, no harm has reached us here. The OSS are keeping us safe and their allies just arrived to bolster their forces."

"I'd like to hear that." The old knight replied in relief.

"Anyway, where is Piña?" Hamilton asked.

"Follow me." The drill-haired knight agreed.

 **(0945 hrs.)**

Panache was staring at the bird called the P-47 as her interest in it is slowly growing by the day following the visit. The rider, Heimerich, arrived.

"I see that you took interest in this bird." Heimerich said.

"Yeah." Panache replied. "Just...what is it about this bird?"

"You see, this bird, or 'plane' to be exact, is one of our close air support weapons back in our world. It provided our armies cover from above to keep our troops from taking casualties. As well, it can target other planes, making it useful if we have a large battle going on."

"By the way, that 'close air support' thing. What is it?"

"It means that our planes attack air and ground units while providing cover." Heimerich explained. "That's the simple concept."

"Wow." The silver-haired lady uttered.

Then, a giggle from a young girl filled the air. When Panache looked back, she was scared by the sight of the apostle Rory.

"HYAA! What are you doing here, Your Holiness?!"

"Don't worry about me." The apostle assured her. "I won't be harming anyone here. Just strolling around."

"Whew. For a while, I thought Emroy wants to summon me to his realm."

Rory then began to ask Heimerich.

"How's your squadron doing?"

"So far, we didn't lose anyone except for just two planes." Heimerich reported. "It was hard flying in this world without proper maps, to be honest."

"Well, don't worry." Rory replied. "Once you get familiar with the terrain, I'm sure you can easily get home."

"No doubt about it." The pilot agreed. "Alright then, where are we?"

As the French forces and convoy arrived, this time with their S35 tanks, Travers and his fellow friends watched as their arrival brought awe to their eyes. Gallahand and Lelei arrived just as the French exited from the tunnel.

"So, did we missed anything?" Gallahand asked.

"Not much." Travers replied. "We have our friends here, so the Germans would take notice once we fight together."

"I heard that your allies are coming to fight here against the Germans." Lelei replied. "This should be good news for the nations here since their armies are virtually ineffective against their weapons."

"Yeah. Let's show the Krauts that we are all here to fight." Gallahand agreed before a French officer from the Service de Documentation Extérieure et de Contre-Espionnage arrived.

"It's nice to be here in the Special Region, fellow Americans." The officer greeted.

"Yeah." Travers replied. "You too."

"Welcome to our world." Lelei followed. "I hope that you have a safe mission ahead of you."

The three shaked hands as a sign of friendship and cooperation.

 **(May 7, 1945, 0703 hrs.)**

The soldiers, officers and the delegates from the Special Region arrived to witness Colonel Balton, Travers and Lelei give a series of speeches. Rory, Princess Piña and King Duran were also there to see. As everyone sat on their chairs, the three representatives went up on stage to the microphone.

"Good morning everyone, officers of the Allied forces, nobles and delegates from the Empire, the Kingodm of Elbe and within the Special Region. I have come here not to put more destruction on our lands but to protect them from the threat that we thought is weakening but in reality, growing desparate." Balton said first.

"We believe that the Germans are building weapons that can wipe our forces within mere days." Travers continued. "We mostly don't know what they are planning but we can assume that they are going to use it, to save their so-called 'Third Reich' from destruction. We may have surrounded them, but there is one last job to do."

"Our goal is to end the threat of the Nazis here in this land so that we may finally live peacefully, together with the United States, Great Britain and France." Lelei followed. "By forming an alliance, we believe that through this, all is possible. And freedom and prosperity is the future everyone deserves."

The audience cheered and they are also encouraged by their words. It wasn't long before Colonel Balton arrived to finish the speech.

"As of now, the new alliance, the United Allied Armies, will now officially launch the operarion to free the Special Region and any other lands under German control. We will prevail to the very end!"

Cheering and thunderous applause filled the atmosphere as the start of the campaign by the United Allied Armies began immediately following the speech.

"Way to go, bud." Gallahand commended Travers silently.

After that, men began to prepare for combat. Not long after, the flags of the participating nations were set up in the headquarters. As well, messengers went near and far to spread the news.

 **(Outside Sadera - 1703 hrs.)**

The Imperial Army were preparing themselves for a fight after receiving reports that the army of the iron cross were heading their way. Dragon riders, trebuchets, goblins and orcs filled the ranks for the defense.

"I wonder where are our reinforcements." One soldier wondered. "It looks as if they are caught up with something they never reported back with our dragon riders."

"It's not a matter of what if, it's a matter of what." Another replied. "I even heard that one of the legions never made it back from the Mountain Range of Ice and Snow when they are sent to investigate a disturbance weeks ago."

Then, a noise filled the air from afar as they saw the enemy.

"They're here!" One scout reported.

"Launch our trebuchets!" A commander ordered. "Get our shields at the front!"

When they are ready for the defense, an explosion took its toll on the Imperial Army. Lights from afar hit the soldiers shortly after with ease as the strange birds with crosses on both wings easily wrestled control of the skies with virtually little opposition. Strange animals charged forward while defeating a large number of soldiers.

"This can't be happening!" A commander uttered in shock. "Wh-who are they?!"

Then, a creature covered almost entirely in black moved ahead while holding a black staff. It pointed it towards the officer.

"P-p-please! Spare us!" The officer pleaded.

Instead, flashes of light was released and it hit the officer, killing him instantly. It wasn't long before Prince Zorzal appeared behind.

"Well done, everyone." Zorzal commended. "Now, off to the palace. I have something for my father."

A handful of German soldiers then followed Zorzal as his moment of glory is within his grasp.

 _A/N: The United Allied Armies, or UAA for short, has now been formed and the Germans will have plenty of reasons why they have to take the alliance very seriously._

 _Anyway, the chapter will mark the start of the operations in the alliance. Stay tuned for the rest._


	12. Chapter 12 - The Alliance's Introduction

**(Adanti, Sicily - July 10, 1943, 2340 hrs.)**

At the conclusion of the firefight, Travers was sitting beside the phonograph in the mayor's office, taking a short drink before leaving the area. Then, Gallahand came after encountering some German reinforcements.

"Still a bit bored, Travers?" Gallahand asked.

"Yeah." He replied. "Those officers were a big pain, but I took care of them."

"Damn, if I were to spot one, I could at least fill that guy full of lead."

Gallahand then noticed a Springfield on his back.

"Bud, where did you get that rifle?"

"From the sniper team I located a few minutes back." Travers explained. "One of the members was shot dead by a German sniper and the other guy told me to take it for a comeback. After that, he told me to help the others so I brought the rifle with me. He wouldn't mind me doing it because of that."

"You did something good back there." Gallahand commended before drinking his canteen. "By the time we reach further inland, I might as well handle a sniper rifle and send the Krauts back where they belong."

"What...Berlin?" Travers jokingly asked. "We didn't even reach Germany yet. Besides, we are still far ahead and the only thing we could cross right now is Rome."

"Hahaha." Gallahand chuckled. "Guess we better head back."

"Yeah."

The two then left to meet with the others.

 **(Bellnahgo - May 8 1945, 0417 hrs.)**

A dawn assault was prepared by the United Allied Armies as the C-47 formation was approaching the city. Patterson was leading the drop as the men from both England and America were preparing themselves for the fight. In front of the formation, a dogfight took hold as the Luftwaffe were battling the United States Army Air Force and the newly-arrived Royal Air Force for supremacy. AA fire also lit the sky.

"This is gonna get rough!" Gallahand commented.

"Yeah, it's gonna!" Patterson agreed. "If we want to survive this, we have to stay calm!"

The lights then turned green.

"Everyone, go, go go!" The team then dropped from their planes as they slowly descend to the city. They then assembled for a field briefing.

"So, what now?" Rory asked.

"We have to perform a sweep within the city." Patterson answered. "There are numerous tanks, halftracks, snipers and Panzergrenadiers prowling the city so the situation could be hard to manage. We need to eliminate them so that our allies could advance."

"Not only that, Colonel Bakersfield and his men are moving from the south so I would expect a good number of Krauts to get them." Harvey followed. "We need to do some sniper support as well."

"Affirmative." Gallahand agreed. "Travers, we better get a Panzerschreck if we could find one since the city is littered with enemy vehicles."

"Gotcha." Travers replied. "We'll handle this and secure the gates."

"You four will handle the south while me and the rest will perform a sweep from the west." Patterson continued. "Try meeting up with the others if you can."

"Yes, sir."

"Alright, let's move!" The team then split but after a while, Rory, who was with Travers' team, decided to stop walking.

"Rory, what the hell are you doing?!" Harvey asked.

"Well...uhmmm...you see..."

"Spit it out!" Travers demanded.

"Alright, alright!" Rory agreed. "Sheesh!"

She began to say her story.

"You see, within the city is a temple dedicated to the god of the underworld, Hardy. Not only that, she wanted to make me her bride and shw would do anything to achieve that goal."

"What?!" Gallahand was in shock. "She wanted you to be..."

"That's right. So I decided to refuse this and hoped that until my ascension, I can stay away in peace. Thanks to you people, I think I could be safe for now."

"That's...weird." Travers agreed with concern.

Then, gunshots from the Germans spooked the team as they began to fire back.

"Watch hit, those Krauts have back-up!" Harvey warned.

One German managed to shoot Rory in the torso.

"ARRGHH!"

"Rory!" Harvey shouted before her wounds began healing.

"Don't worry about it, Harvey!" Travers assured him. "She's immortal! We can get through this!"

"You and Gallahand saw this before?!"

"Yeah, we did!" Gallahand agreed before firing his BAR. "We felt the same thing!"

"Alright, I won't certainly disagree!"

The team then slowly pushed forward as Rory began slashing the opposition.

"Eat my blade!" She shouted before killing a few Germans. "Do not underestimate the apostle of Emroy!"

"Let's push on!" Travers reminded.

Then, sniper fire nearly hit the team.

"Snipers in the buildings!" Gallahand reported. "Hide inside!"

The team went inside the building and the sniper fire stopped.

"This is no good." Harvey commented.

"As expected." Travers echoed Pattersons earlier guesses. "Unless someone can help clear those snipers, we are at a dead end."

Suddenly, shouting from the Germans can be heard even as gunfire and explosions echoed in the city.

 _"Watch it, she's right behind...AAAAARRGH!"_

 _"We can't hold on! Fall bac..."_

The team were confused.

"Y'all hear that?" Gallahand asked. "It looks like someone just killed them."

"Yeah." Rory answered. "Guess we better find out."

Travers and Harvey nodded before the team stepped outside. Strangely, the sniper fire was stopped and the nearest battle was seven hundred meters away.

"Weird enough." Harvey observed. "We better move."

The team then moved towards a nearby inn. When they got close, a figure with a black cloak was waiting.

"Are you with the men in green?" The figure asked with a female voice.

"Y-yeah!" Travers answered. "Yes we are."

"I knew that you would come! It's just what the prophets said!"

"Wait!" Gallahand wondered. ""They're" expecting us?"

The female figure then signalled the team to follow her. When the reached inside, she took off the cloth covering her face and the team was surprised.

"A dark elf?!" Travers was in shock.

"Sorry if my appearance scared you." The elf apologized. "I was wearing this cloth so that I can cover my face from the elements."

Almost immediately, she then noticed Rory. This spooked her.

"Gya...what are doing, young apostle of Emroy?!" The elf asked.

"Don't worry." The apostle assured. "I am only here to help the men in green fight the army of the iron cross."

"Thank goodness. I was afraid that you would come and take me away from this mortal life."

"Why do you need our help?" Travers asked.

"Because, the prophets fortold of a great disaster if the army of the iron cross wasn't stopped. Cities would be turned to ashes, people will be enslaved, and in another world, they would dominate the lands."

"Holy...do you think what she meant?" Gallahand asked.

"I think she maybe refering to the Germans." Harvey replied. "This all fits together."

"If that's the case, we better keep up the pressure and hope the guys on the other side can launch an attack." Rory agreed. "What the dark elf said is a warning of things to come."

"Alright, then." Travers followed before turning his attention to the elf. "That settles it. Ma'am, you have our support."

"Thank you, young soldier." The dark elf said in gratitude. "We must hurry."

The team then encountered some German resistance at the southern portion, though the former was far enough so that the enemy cannot see them. The assault team was also hiding in the walls for protection.

"Looks like it's time to do some sniping." Harvey announced.

"I'll join ya." Travers agreed.

The two then prepared their Springfield sniper rifles. The elf was surprised by their odd appearance.

"What are those things?" The elf asked. "Are those even magic staffs?"

"No, they aren't" Rory answered. "Those are sniper rifles."

The two then aimed their weapons carefully as they began to pick their targets. They slowly zoomed in with their scopes and while squeezing the trigger, they fired the guns. The shots killed their targets while those near them were surprised.

"What power!" The elf commented.

"There's one, on top of that Tiger." Gallahand reported.

"I see him." Travers confirmed before shooting.

"Nice shot."

A few shots later, some of the British paratroopers arrived to open and secure the gate. Then, a few German snipers appeared to kill their prey.

"Look over there." Travers observed before he and Harvey began shooting.

A few shots scared the snipers and some began to fire back.

"Get clear!" Gallahand shouted to Rory and the dark elf and the team took cover. Traver and Harvey then resumed firing to finally clear the sniper threat on the south side.

"Area clear!" Travers confirmed "Let's link up with the others."

The team then reached the British forces as Travers began to meet with Colonel Bakersfield. Travers walked to the leader who is waiting.

"Sergeant Boyd Travers from the OSS." He introduced himself to the colonel while saluting. "We are here to support you."

"Thank you, Travers." The colonel replied before shaking hands. "Colonel Frederick Bakersfield from Her Majesty's Secret Intelligence Service."

"Affirmative, sir."

He then began to report to Bakersfield his team's findings.

"We encountered some fierce resistance but surprisingly, a dark elf cleared out most of the threat while under fire."

"Wait, an elf?" Bakersfield was surprised.

"Yes, sir." He then signalled the elf to come forward to Travers.

"I want to thank you for helping them get through this so far." Bakersfield thanked the elf. "You potentially gave us a solid standing in the fight."

"It's an honor, sir." The elf replied.

"By the way, what is your name? I'm Colonel Frederick Bakersfield, one of the leaders of the attack force."

"Oh, right. I'm the emissary of the dark elves, Yao Haa Dushi." She introduced herself.

"Thank you. Now, we must push on."

The team then moved forward towards the city center, where Patterson is waiting.

"'Bout time you people showed up." Patterson greeted.

"What's the situation, lieutenant?" Travers asked.

"We received reports of enemy movement within a temple site. They said it belongs to someone named 'Hardy', I think?"

Rory was spooked by what Patterson said.

"Uh...about that."

Travers began telling Patterson Rory's issue with the goddess. After that, Patterson was concerned.

"I see." Patterson agreed. "I guess that her demand of marriage would haunt her until Rory becomes a goddess."

"Anyway, we have orders." Travers reminded. "We better get to the temple, ASAP. If her apostles showed up, we could at least show them what we got."

"Good idea. Men, let's move!"

Before leaving, Patterson noticed a dark elf within Travers' party.

"Who is she?"

"Dark Elf emissary Yao Haa Dushi, sir." Travers explained. "She covered our backs when we took on some Krauts early on."

"Alright."

They then approached the temple where some of Bakersfield's men were fighting the Germans near the entrance.

"One hell of a welcoming party." Gallahand commented while the team was taking cover.

"Yeah, it is." Travers agreed.

Patterson peeked at the German positions.

"Two MG42s near the steps and a couple of halftracks. There is a stockpile of Panzerfaust crates as well." He observed.

"Alright, thanks for the heads-up." Harvey replied.

The team then approached the temple while Travers, Yao and Harvey stayed to snipe the enemy machine gun positions. On the side of the former, they began clearing out the Germans after the guns are cleared.

"Area clear! Let's get inside!" Patterson shouted.

Travers then turned his attention to Yao.

"C'mon, let's go." Travers said.

"Uh...alright." Yao agreed.

The team then entered the building and found a crate of explosives such as artillery shells, mortar rounds and AA rounds.

"They turned this temple into a weapons cache?" Rory wondered.

"Look's like." Gallahand agreed.

The team continued firing at the Germans as the latter was holding their ground.

"Whatever you do, don't shoot the crates by accident." Gallahand barked.

Slowly, the Germans were slowly beaten as the OSS took constant cover. Travers, with his BAR, shot two Germans in a few bursts. Shortly after, with the last German dead, hostilities within the temple ground are gone.

"Better get the crates out of here so that we don't harm anyone, especially if someone is a devotee." Patterson suggested.

"You got it, chief." Travers replied and his team decided to help remove the weapons from the temple. After a while, the site is free of weapons.

Everyone began resting since the city was captured minutes ago. Travers was drinking from his canteen and Patterson was busy talking with Bakersfield. Yao arrived to see the soldier who led his team to victory.

"Is this your first time walking towards a temple full of enemies?" Yao asked. "Surely this is a sacred site."

"In fact, no." Travers replied. "The first thing happened in my world, in a site known as 'Paestum'. A similar thing such as this surprised me."

"Wait, what happened? Where there worshippers there?"

"No. It was a long time since it was last visited by them. The war that happened in my world replaced the worshippers with soldiers, fighting in the frontlines."

"I see. The temple there was completely defiled because of constant fighting."

"I kinda feel bad for it after. It has some history waiting to be uncovered but the war took every opportunity away."

"I'm sorry for its loss." Yao sadly said.

"Don't worry." Travers assured her. "I hope something like that or today won't happen again."

Then, a figure with white hair and wings appeared. Rory recognized her.

"KYYAAA...Giselle?!" Rory shouted

Patterson and the men nearby heard the commotion. Travers and Yao also noticed it.

"I believed that you would come here." Giselle said in reply. "Anyway, what brings you here?"

"Nothing!" Rory rebuked. "I was just only here to take out the iron cross."

"Really, huh? We'll see about that."

She began to use her great scythe to challenge Rory and her halberd. Before they could even fight, gunshots from Travers' M1911 pistol interrupted the two.

"Travers?!" Rory asked in shock.

"What dared you to interrupt our sacred match?!" Giselle asked in anger.

"I beleive there is no reason for you two to just fight over a marriage offer." Travers replied. "If Rory says 'no', the answer is firm and final."

Giselle was angry by his statement.

"You watch your mouth!"

"Save the fight for later. Rory and my team have more important matters to attend and your actions could put this world and ours in jeopardy."

"What?" The blue demigoddess asked. "Then, I'll send the fire dragon to remove you from this mortal..."

"I already killed it!" Travers rebuked her. "And good luck sending more of those, 'cause I can take them on."

Giselle was speechless when she heard that Travers said that he killed the fire dragon days before. She doesn't know what happened since she was tending the dragon's offsprings at that time.

"But...how?"

"With explosive magic unseen in this world."

Silence filled the air as Travers decides the next move.

"Let's go everyone." Travers said.

His team, including Rory, began to return to the city. Giselle wasn't pleased by what happened recently and she charged towards Travers after walking a few meters away from the temple.

"Diieee, you scum!" Travers then pointed his pistol at her.

"You know that you have to relax a little." Travers suggested. "Just be patient."

"You can't kill me!" She defiantly said. "I'm the apostle of the goddess of the underworld Hardy!"

"I know. Rory told me all about it, even seeing her heal from those injuries that could kill us in almost an instant. And by the way, I made a blood pact with her a few days ago, so you better think twice of killing me."

All the apostle of Hardy could do is just watch and do nothing as the team left.

 **(Alnus Hill - 1639 hrs.)**

The team, alongside Yao, returned to the base by plane as personnel were busy with a number of sorties already underway in the northeast and the northwest. At the base, soldiers from nearby kingdoms were being trained to handle firearms and explosives of their new allies.

"Guess that the kingdoms can have some fighting chance against the Krauts." Gallahand commented. "Hope there would be less casualties."

"I wouldn't simply go into conclusions just yet." Travers replied. "Remember that the nations of the Special Region were just being introduced to firearms and gunpowder so safety and responsibility is a top priority for them and us."

"Uh, right. Sorry for jumping to that."

"That's okay. I know what they are facing."

Patterson began telling them about some matters.

"Travers, Gallahand, Erston, Rory, I'll go on ahead." Patterson said. "Meet me in the debriefing in a while. I better speak with Colonel Dunois about our next move."

"Alright, sir." Travers replied and Patterson went ahead of them.

"So, what now?" Yao asked.

"We'll just take you to the refugee site." Harvey answered. "We rescued a number of them, mostly composed of young children."

"That reminds me, about the soldier who said that he killed the fire dragon. Is it true?"

"Yes it is." Rory replied. "He was a mighty warrior that day and his explosive magic killed it in the head."

"What?!" The elf was in shock. "No way!"

"Don't worry. He and his friends have our backs secured."

She then turned his attention to Travers.

"I humbly thank you, young soldier, for taking out the foul beast." She said to him.

"My pleasure." Travers replied. "By the way, did that bothered you before?"

"Yes, it caused harm to my people back then. Now that you are here, maybe I could be of assistance for your team."

"I would welcome that. Besides, I heard from my superiors a few days before that another elf here began undergoing training, so she'll be joining us in our missions."

"Really?"

"Really."

 _A/N: Bellnahgo is the next stage of operation in this chapter and so I apologize for not heading northeast because I felt that rushing it would be a bad idea._

 _Anyhow, this chapter serves as a baptism by fire for the alliance and as such, the armies of the Special Region will be trained to use firearms and explosives, but I made sure that they don't misue it for their own gains._


	13. Chapter 13 - Illusions and Reality

**(Alnus Hill - May 11, 1945, 0713 hrs.)**

It has been three days since Germany signed the documents for surrender, thereby ending the war in Europe but not in the Special Region. The Allies knew that in order to secure a future of peace, they continued operating and the base expansion is almost finished. While a three-ship formation of French P-47 Thunderbolts is flying overhead, Lelei was looking at the sights before catching a glimpse of a RAF Mosquito that is waiting to be piloted.

"Excuse me, are you people servicing the plane?" She asked the mechanics.

"Yes, we are." One of them answered. "Been through a lot of them but this one is different."

"Why is it different?"

"Because this plane is made to carry out scouting missions, or recon for simplicity." He then showed Lelei a camera ready to be mounted on the Mosquito.

"What is that black box?" Lelei asked the mechanic. "This one has different parts."

"That's a 'camera'." The mechanic answered. "Ca-me-ra."

"'Ca-me-ra'." Lelei began understanding the contraption. "I get it."

"Good. This one can take pictures from the air."

"Really?"

"Normally, regular cameras aren't suited for flying so we made these to do the job with great effect."

"So that means that you can show the soldiers what the enemy is up to."

"Excatly. And we can launch attacks in due time."

Shortly after, the pilots began walking to the Mosquito. The mechanic began to tell Lelei.

"You better leave. The riders need to do their jobs. There is a bench there if you want to see the planes take-off and land."

"Thank you for your kind request." Lelei replied.

The mechanic nodded before Lelei sat on a shaded bench to look at the operations of the airbase. She was awed by the sights.

"So this is how it operates." Lelei commented silently. "Those men are in sync."

 **(Tanska - 1018 hrs.)**

For more than five hours, heavy firefighting occured between the Allies and the Germans as the former were close to taking control of the town. Behind a Sherman, Travers, Gallahand and Rory were taking cover due to the machine gun nests being established within the town.

"Stand back, the tank's firin' its gun!" Gallahand warned his friends as the Sherman began to fire the 76 mm on the Germans.

"Alright!" Travers shouted. "Push forward!"

With the Germans' vision partially blinded by the smoke, the trio then took cover and fired their weapons. As well, Harvey provided sniper support in a nearby house.

"You're almost there guys!" Harvey said silently. "Just a few more steps and we should be able to clear the last nest."

Suddenly, one German gunner successfully reached the MG42 and proceeded to fire at the Allies. Luckily, they took cover just in time.

"Rory, get that Kraut on the machine gun!" Travers requested.

"On it!" Rory agreed before rushing towards the Germans.

The gunner tried to shoot her but the halberd-wielding apostle killed him first. This allowed Travers and his friends to continue firing. Then, a few gunshots from the sides killed an equal number of Germans, ending the fight. It wasn't long before Yao in an M1911 showed up.

"Guess that your sidearm training paid off, eh?" Gallahand commented.

"Yeah, it worked finely." Yao agreed. "At least the enemy is defeated and we should be able to free Tanska."

"Anyway, now that the nests are gone, it would not be long before German reinforcements arrive." Travers said.

Harvey arrived feeling a bit exhausted.

"How does it go?" Harvey asked.

"We're fine, thank you." Rory replied. "No more German MG nest for now."

"Good. We should breathe easily."

Then, some of the planes that were providing close air support were shot down by arrows of light. This surprised the group.

"Over there!" Yao said while pointing at German reinforcements in the outskirts. Among the ranks of the reinforcements were rock golems, sorcerers and dragons.

"Great! Of all the times..." Gallahand expressed his surprise.

"They might tip the battle in their favor." Yao said. "Travers, what shall we do?"

After some consideration, Travers have an idea.

"Rory, could it be possible for the golems to resist gunfire?" Travers asked.

"That's highly likely." Rory answered. "Also, their dragons could be effectively countered by your AA weaponry."

"Thanks. Alright, here's the idea. We found a couple of Panzerfaust crates within the city. I need Gallahand to collect them so that we can use it against the golems. Tell Patterson the situation on the way."

"On it, bud." Gallahand agreed before leaving.

"Harvey, provide us support as me, Rory and Yao will get close to the Krauts and take them out."

"On it." Harvey nodded and everyone began to move to their designated objectives.

While Gallahand was searching for Panzerfaust launchers, he spotted Lieutenant Patterson and Sergeant Sorey.

"Lieutenant, Sergeant, I need help with carrying Panzerfaust rockets." Gallahand requested.

"What did your team found?" Patterson asked.

"We found German reinforcements from the northeast, comprised of regular units, goblins and a couple of sorcerers and dragons."

"Guess the Krauts began utilizing magic, right Lieutenant?" Sorey asked.

"Yeah." Patterson agreed. "Let's get them."

Back at the outskirts, Travers and Yao were under fire from various weapons as Rory began distracting the golems long enough to buy the Allies some time. When they found some German forces armed with StG-44s, they quickly fired and took cover to keep themselves safe.

"Keep your head down, Yao!" Travers said to her. "Those guys are good shots!"

"Alright." Yao agreed. "You too with those dragons and sorcerers!"

Travers nodded before firing again. As Harvey began shooting at the heavily-armed S.S. soldiers, Patterson, Sorey and Gallahand arrived with the Panzerfausts. The lieutenant and sergeant were surprised by what they saw.

"Holy cow, they got golems!" Sorey exclaimed.

"That's why we have those Panzerfausts, sir!" Gallahand rebuked. "If we don't set them up, who knows what would they do?"

"Get the rockets ready!" Patterson ordered. "I'm getting close to distract the creatures and the Krauts."

Patterson then closed in on the reinforcements while the remaining two began aiming the rockets at the golems. As soon as Patterson got near one, he began mocking the golem.

"Over here, I'm your target, not them!" He uttered before the rock creature took sight on the lieutenant. Before it knew it, Sorey and Gallahand fired one rocket and it hit the golem, creating a hole on the abdomen.

"Glad to join us, sir." Rory greeted Patterson.

"Yeah." He nodded. "Let's push 'em back."

More rockets were fired as if the disposable weapon can be reused. Before the Germans knew it, they were pinned down as Allied reinforcements arrived to surround the enemy. After a while, they gave up. With their dragons and air support exhausted and Rory in sight, all they did was hold their hands in the air to signal their surrender.

 **(1322 hrs.)**

With the town captured, some of the Allies began to move ahead in order to gain more ground. Travers and Yao were walking along a path.

"I gotta hand it to you. You did quite well." He commented.

"Thank you, young sir." Yao replied. "Your weapons gave me an ability to fight those 'Germans' as you called."

"It's my pleasure. After all, we have more experience with those kinds of weaponry."

"Mind if I try that staff that you used back in Bellnahgo? I want to see how it works."

"Okay then." Travers agreed. "But me and Harvey must teach you first on how to properly use it."

Yao nodded happily. Then, three trucks carrying humans and non-humans alike with ragged clothes arrived. Most of them consist of ladies. This shocked Travers and Yao prompting them to see the leader in charge.

"What the hell did you find, sir?" Travers asked.

"We found a concentration camp not far from here." The French leader answered. "I don't know who is responsible for that, but we have to confirm it is not the Germans' doing, judging by some of the flags and uniforms we found."

"Who do you think it was?" Then, a horse's nigh was heard, revealing an old man in shining armor.

"It's one of the knights." Yao said to Travers.

After dismounting, the knight found the pair.

"Grey, good to see you." Travers greeted him.

"You too, Sir Travers." Grey replied. "I was here to look at the progress of your armies."

"It's going smooth so far."

Travers then began to open up a topic regarding the prisoners the Allies recovered.

"Excuse me, what can you tell from the ladies with ragged clothing?" Travers asked.

It wasn't long before Grey began to admit a secret of the Empire.

"Those girls your army found are slaves of the Empire." He answered.

"What!?" Yao exclaimed.

"Listen, I silently oppose this brutality. The Empire believed it was a threat to their purity and it was their reason why the nation expanded. Also, before the gate even opened, the surrounding nations were getting suspicious of the Empire's actions. As well, those who opposed the emperor's actions were imprisoned, secretly or not. In order to achieve safety for me, the princess and her friends, I decided to stay silent on the matter and tell someone I can trust."

"I'm sorry about the situation, Sir Grey." Yao said. "I can't forgive them, but not you since you are sincere."

"Don't worry." He assured. "By the time the iron cross is vanquished, we could start over for everyone."

"I agree." The two men then shook hands as a sign of things to come.

Travers then thought of something.

"I better tell Colonel Balton about this and maybe get you, Princess Piña and the Rose-Order asylum for your sake." Travers said. "If there are other people from the Empire who are trying to help, we could do that as well."

"Thank you for your generosity." Grey replied. "We are in your debt."

Travers and Yao then smiled back.

 **(Alnus Hill - May 12, 1945, 0723 hrs.)**

As Travers went to see Colonel Balton, he was standing up with some expectations.

"Sit down please, Travers." He requested.

"Yes, sir." Travers then sat.

"What did you see back at Tanska?" Balton asked.

"I heard from Lieutenat Morean that they found a concentration camp near the town." He explained. "As well, one of the knights, Grey Co Aldo, said that the Empire was responsible for that as part of their supposed purity."

"I see. Go on."

"I also heard from him that a number of citizens of the Empire, including him, opposed this. Most were arrested, on orders from the emperor."

The colonel nodded.

"And I received a request from Aldo if you can grant him, Princess Piña, the Rose-Order and any other people of good faith and charity asylum."

Balton was having some time thinking of the request. He now has two problems to solve, the Germans and the Empire's actions. Then, after some consideration, he has an answer.

"Sergeant, I'll get that asylum ready for them in no time." Balton said.

"Thank you, sir." Travers replied before the two began shaking hands.

"I wish the the political prisoners, the princess and her close allies good health, freedom and prosperity. You may go."

The two stood up and saluted before Travers left the office. As if on cue, Piña passed by Travers to see Balton. She decided to talk to him.

"Sir Travers, what were you doing there?" She asked.

"Just some talk about what happened yesterday." He replied.

"What? What is it?"

"Just see Colonel Balton. Everything's gonna be alright."

Piña nodded before the two went in separate ways. Once she reached the office, Balton was waiting.

"Thank you for coming on such notice, Your Highness." He greeted her.

"Is there anything you found?" Piña asked.

"Please sit down."

Piña then sat for a discussion.

"Are you aware of the numerous concentrations scattered throughout the territories of the Empire?" He asked.

"No." Piña answered. "My father never told me about it and I thought it was just like that."

"That's why I have to tell you something. For some time, people with compassion were imprisoned for expressing their views. Your father didn't tell you about it and the nations surrounding the Empire were suspicious as well. It looks as if he wants to maintain is legitimacy."

Piña was shocked by those words.

"I...I can't believe it!" Piña uttered. "What did my father do?!"

Then, a French officer arrived with some news.

"Colonel Balton, the officers need you immediately." He said.

"Affirmative, I'm on my way." Then he began to see Piña one more time before leaving.

"I'm entrusting you in Patterson and Travers' care." Balton said. "I'm also granting asylum to you and your allies."

"Thank you, sir." Piña said with some tears. Then, Balton left.

Once the two officers arrived in the tent with other officers, they began to discuss the situation.

"What do you got, Bakersfield?" Balton asked.

"By what the recon photos can show, there are a good number of AA guns, tanks and other vehicles within the city." Bakersfield said while pointing at the circled parts of the picture. "This means that the Germans have turned this city into a fortress."

"I see."

"Also, from some of the Imperial soldiers that we have recovered by aircraft, they said that the capital of Sadera suffered a coup with the help of the so-called 'army of the iron cross'." Colonel Dunois followed. "This means that someone from the Imperial family got in contact with the Germans and allowed them to station their forces there. We also received word that the Empire's politicians are under the threat of the the combined force."

"By all accounts, I'd say that we have to slowly take out the threat with care to minimize casualties." Balton suggested. "We can't lose our trust we forged between them."

Unbeknownst to the officers, Piña heard everything after she quietly left the office.

"What's going on?" She wondered. "I hope father is okay."

 _A/N: This is it. The second-to-last battle is coming soon in the story. Also expect Holt and his men ready to attack the Arctic base to finally end the German quest for weapons of mass destruction._

 _Peace._


	14. Chapter 14 - Towards the Lion's Den

**(Alnus Hill - May 13, 1945, 1443 hrs.)**

Piña was feeling uneasy ever since yesterday due to the discovery that a royal family member with the help of the Germans is in possession of the Imperial capital Sadera. While she sulks, Lelei arrived.

"Feeling better, Your Highness?" Lelei asked. "I hope it isn't something worse than you feared."

"I'm not feeling fine." Piña timidly replied. "I am getting worried about my family there. If the Germans are in Sadera..."

"Don't worry. The Allies will deal with them and save as many people as possible."

"But I want to return home as soon as possibe. The question is how?"

Lelei began thinking of an idea.

"How about you join Travers and his team as a soldier?" She suggested.

"WHAT?!" Piña exclaimed. "Then I'll be shot by the enemy if I do that!"

"That's why they are highly trained to deal with them. They experienced a lot of wars as what Travers said before so they know how to avoid their weapons."

Piña was having a hard time deciding. After a few moments, she has her answer.

"Fine. I'll take part of the team." Piña responded.

"Then I wish you good luck." Lelei encouraged before Piña left to see Travers.

Once Piña entered the firing range, she can see Travers and Gallahand practicing their aim. Travers began looking at her while he was reloading his BAR.

"Princess, what are you doing here?" Travers asked before Gallahand stopped firing.

"I want to join you in your missions." Piña answered. "I heard from your superiors that the capital Sadera has fallen to the enemy."

"That's from what Patterson said to us this morning." Gallahand said.

"You knew?"

"Yeah. Patterson told us about Sadera after he was called to give us the details. The officers also said that in a week, we will be sent inside the city."

"I-I see." Piña continued. "But I want to get back there quickly."

"Don't worry, Your Highness." Travers assured. "We have to slowly weaken their hold in the city by launching attacks far away from the capital, and that is up to the guys outside Tanska."

"Please do." Then, Tuka arrived while wearing an Allied-issued uniform and holding a Gewehr 43 at her back.

"I am surprised you are here, Your Highness." Tuka commented.

"Uh, where did you get that uniform?" Piña asked.

"That's issued by the Allies. The soldiers here are getting these as part of their combat gear."

"I see."

"Anyway Your Highness, you and Tuka will be part of our team." Travers said. "There is plenty of time for training so we can help you."

"Thank you, Sir Travers." Piña sighed in relief.

Gallahand began to wonder about Piña's participation.

"Are you sure this is a good idea to let Piña be part?" Gallahand asked.

"If she wants to return so badly, it's best that we should help her in any way we can." Tuka answered.

"I have to agree with you, Tuka."

 **(May 14, 1945, 0700 hrs.)**

Piña was assigned to a new batch of trainees and by the striking of the clock, an officer, Captain Larry Hildelwick, arrived at the door.

"Rise and shine, folks!" He shouted as everyone began standing up. "We don't have all day and the Germans are taking whatever you have for whatever they want! I want everyone ready in three minutes because we will train you to fight the Allied way!"

"Yes, sir!" The recruits responded before the officer left.

Everyone began changing to prepare for the day ahead. Piña was a bit slow as she grabbed hold on the uniform she received.

"You okay, Your Highness?" One trainee from Mudwan asked.

"Yeah." Piña replied. "I am."

Within the day, the trainees performed a series of basic maneuvers laid out by the Allied officers such as climbing on the walls, crawling under barbed wires while under fire and performing melee attacks. During the course of the morning training, Piña struggled a bit due to the course's nature.

 **(1533 hrs.)**

The next course involves the use of weaponry, including machine guns, rifles and explosives. Sergeant Hans Bodewig, a German immigrant, was the instructor for the duration of the course.

"If any of you think that using those guns are easy, think again." He said to the trainees. "Not only does these pack a punch but a single soldier could skillfully kill the opposition...even if he's alone."

Everyone was scared by what Bodewig said, including Piña.

"I can't believe it." Piña uttered. "Even just one?!"

"Now, I need a volunteer to handle the weapons for now." With the presence of some more soldiers, he began picking the brave souls.

"Co Lada." He said to the princess.

"Uhm...yes, sir!" She then walked towards the range where a table contains an Colt sidearm, a Thompson submachine gun, a Garand rifle, and a Springfield sniper rifle.

"Co Lada, use this weapon first." Bodewig said while holding the Colt.

After holding the weapon, Piña felt something unusual about using an unknown weapon.

"I can feel as if those who used it have some remorse." She quietly uttered.

"Uhm...aren't you forgetting something?"

"What?" She then noticed that the magazine is not inserted.

"Excuse me but why is there something not inside?"

"The magazine isn't inserted. Here, let me teach you."

He then hand her a magazine full of bullets. After teaching her how to reload the weapon, she was then taught how to aim at a bullseye far in front of her.

"Okay, then. Start shooting." Bodewig cleared her to fire.

After a few moments of aiming and some uncertainty, she fired her first shot at the bullseye.

"Yow!" She uttered while feeling the recoil. "This thing is powerful!"

"Keep firing!" Bodewig ordered.

She then fired a few more shots at the target. After a while, Bodewig had enough.

"Cease fire!" He shouted and Piña stopped.

Bodewig and a fellow soldier went to the bullseye to inspect it. Piña began to feel nervous.

"Please, make my shots good!" She prayed.

The men then went back to see her.

"Co Lada, follow me." Bodewig said to her.

"Oh no..."

When they reached the bullseye, she began to see her results as five out of seven shots hit their marks.

"Nice shot back there." He congratulated.

"Ah, thank you, sir!" She replied with joy.

"Let's go back to resume the session." They then returned to the trainees to continue.

After that, she was then introduced to more weapons. The trainees followed suit after.

 **(1630 hrs.)**

They then reached the part of explosive ordinance training as Bodewig was teaching them about it.

"Now, it's important that you stay away while the user is firing, depending on what you are dealing." He explained. "For example, I'm holding an explosive-launching tube called a 'Bazooka'. Make sure your allies aren't directly at the front or back of the tube as it can kill them. It would also be helpful if you shout "Stay clear"."

One trainee, a warrior bunny, was holding a Bazooka while aiming at a captured German Panzer IV.

"Please be mindful. A backblast is the visible light force that exits from the back of the tube." Bodewig warned. "Not only that it can hurt people, but it could give your position away to the enemy."

"Thank you, sir." The bunny replied. "I'll be careful when operating it."

She then aimed the rocket at the tank.

"Stay clear!" She shouted the words that Bodewig taught earlier before firing the weapon. The rocket propelled to the tank before hitting its mark.

After an inspection, Bodewig began resuming the lesson.

"What you saw is just a small glimpse of what we are dealing back in our world." Bodewig explained. "Not only that, in the case of the Bazooka, a lot of our guys died using that thing. So, we will move on to the Panzerschreck."

 **(2013 hrs.)**

The training course was a little more grueling as they are training in the night.

"Come on, people!" Hildelwick barked. "We have no time to waste here!"

"Aye, sir!" The trainees shouted.

"I CAN'T HEAR YOU!"

"AYE, SIR!"

Due to the visibility in the dark, they are having a hard time getting through the course. When they did passed through, night gun training was held to teach them how to shoot at night.

 **(May 18, 1945, 0925 hrs.)**

After repeating the training courses, Piña was then reassigned to be trained to perform a paradrop. Her batch was given an introduction on parachuting from a plane alongside safety. Surprisingly, Travers was there as the instructor as well as Lelei being the trainee for paradrop.

"Sir Travers, Lelei, what are you doing here?" She asked.

"Well, I'm your instructor now for this course." Travers replied. "I have knowledge of this. Hell, I even did that nine times."

"What?! Nine times?!"

"Counting the training jumps, yeah."

"It seems that he has experience with the paradrop thing." Lelei observed. "I need to see him do it."

The batch then head for a waiting C-47. Some time after, the plane lifted off from the runway and began flying the route that will take them back to the base. This time, on the marked circles on the ground.

"Listen up. You see that red light?" Travers asked. "That means we are not cleared to jump yet, unless your leader says otherwise. Stand and hook up, just like what I told you earlier."

The trainees then followed the order.

"When the light goes green, you jump. Follow the guy in front of you. Don't stop, don't think."

When they closed in on the drop zone, the red light turns green.

"Go, go, go!"

The trainees then jumped off the plane, except for Piña and Lelei.

"I-I can't do it!" She admitted.

"Don't worry!" Travers assured her and she regained confidence.

The princess then jumped off the Skytrain. Piña saw the ground from the sky and began panicking.

"UUUUAAAAAAGGGGHHHH!"

She was then suddenly slowed down as her parachute was deployed.

"Huh? I'm slowing down?"

"Everything's gonna be alright!" Travers answered who also jumped out. "Lelei, how are you feeling?"

"I'm doing well with this!" Lelei replied.

"Good! Head straight by pointing the parachute forward while lean to turn. Lean back to head back."

When they reached the ground, they were almost out of the circle.

"It's okay." Travers assured. "This is the trainees' first jump. So is yours."

"Thank you, young sir." Piña sighed.

"Will there be more like this, Travers?" Lelei asked.

"Yes, there is more. Let's head back to the airfield and grab another plane."

After getting in another C-47, the class returned to the usual drop point, but the next one involves greasing the landing for a faster preparation time. Once the trainees got out of the plane, they aimed for a small landing strip marked with green smoke. Almost everyone, including Piña and Lelei, got the hang of it.

"I'm getting used to this." Lelei commented. "Piña, you too?"

"Yeah." She replied. "I'm starting to be one of them."

"Okay, girls." Travers said to them. "We still have one drop to perform.

They got into the air the third time and began jumping out at the same drop point. The target this time is a group of elevated platforms marked with smoke. Using the techniques they were taught, the trainees performed well.

"Huff...huff...I think we are ready." Piña uttered before lying on the platform.

"Yeah...guess we are." Lelei agreed.

 **(Sadera - 1944 hrs.)**

The Germans were constantly under high alert due to the losses they sustained in the nearby areas. Zorzal began asking Colonel Erzenschwann, who is visiting the capital.

"I need to know how the hell your army is losing!" Zorzal demanded.

"You see, the Americans and their allies are getting good ever since the war in our world began almost six years ago." Erzenschwann explained. "While we could infiltrate their countries, it seems that they dealt more damage to us than what we did to them."

"So, when will the weapons be ready?"

"They are already here, Emperor Zorzal." Erzenschwann then pointed at the upgraded V-2 rockets at the facade. A handful of V-1 rockets were also there.

"Holy..."

"We can produce weapons that can terrorize the enemy through technology." The colonel continued. "Your loyal men will also receive the best weapons the Fatherland has ever developed."

"I thank you for your offer." Zorzal said in gratitude. "By the way, how is father and the politicians?"

"They will be dealt with tomorrow afternoon."

"Good work."

The two leaders then continued overseeing the progress of the defense.

 **(Alnus Hill - May 20, 1945, 1145 hrs.)**

Everyone from Patterson's team and the Allies, including Manon, Rory and some of the other leaders, are assembled for the briefing.

"Alright, if they are no objections, we shall continue."

The projector turned on to show the information.

"This is Sadera, the capital of the Empire that is recently captured by the Germans. Also, there are reports of modified V-1 and V-2 deployment within the city which may suggest that an offensive is brewing up. Our goal is not just to free the city, but to end the threat of weapons of mass destruction that can pose a threat to all worlds. To that end, we are launching our own offensive to take them out. Expect AA guns, tanks, sniper positions, MG nests, possible minefields and motorpools. We need to weaken their force to win. Finally, there are the captive politicians, civilians and possibly the rest of the royal family that we need to help as well."

Before ending the briefing, the officer has one thing to say.

"We are dropping into enemy territory that is firmly in the grip of the enemy. Watch your backs. Dismissed."

Everyone stood up and saluted before heading for the C-47s.

"Good luck, everyone." Patterson said. "Let's hope that we can get home alive and free the capital."

"Yes, sir." The rest of his team responded.

The rest of the Rose-Order of Knights began seeing Princess Piña, now a soldier, leave for her first mission.

"Good luck, Your Highness." Grey said. "May the gods be with you.".

After boarding, Harvey began to ask something.

"Tuka, got your rifle with you?" He asked.

"Yes, I have." Tuka confirmed. "I'll be joining you and Travers for this."

"Good. I'll help you with your aim. I know this because I even used that."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Travers, if the officer said is true, then Sadera could be a trap in my opinion." Rory said. "All those Germans stationed there makes me think of a big bloodbath that can surpass Italica."

"Guess you have a point there." Travers agreed. "But we have a duty to fulfill. We'll be with each other in times of need."

"Yeah."

"Good statement, bud." Gallahand commented. "So do I with this. If a Kraut is chasing ya, let me handle this."

"Thanks, Gallahand."

As the planes began leaving the base, Travers began praying for their success.

"May we have a safe journey ahead of us." He uttered.

The planes then took off alongside the escorting P-47 Thunderbolts, P-51 Mustangs, A-20 Havocs, Hawker Tempests, and Supermarine Spitfires. Panache was part of Heimerich's squad after days of training. The road to Sadera is getting shorter and freedom is moments away.

 _A/N: We are closing in on Sadera and the Germans are getting prepared for a bloodbath and intense fighting that is a bit close to what happened in Berlin._

 _Stay tuned._


	15. Chapter 15 - Liberation of Sadera

**(Alnus Hill - May 20, 1945, 1401 hrs.)**

In the command tent, the officers are overseeing the operation unfold in Sadera. With the concern for the rockets and captive politicians and civilians in their minds, they carefully plan their moves with the aid of radio operators relaying real-time information from their equipment.

"The 1st Special Company and 3rd Special Company are already commencing the offensive as we speak." Colonel Dunois reported. "Air units are commencing the sweep as well. We also received info of a significant amount of anti-tank weaponry and heavy tanks guarding the city."

"Any composition within their air ranks?" Colonel Balton asked.

"We received reports of a small number of Me 262s within Sadera aside from a large group of Bf 109s and Fw 190s. Probably to keep our planes busy while their Stukas do close air support."

"Alright, relay the orders to the Jaguars. I want them to keep the jets and some of the fighters busy while we do the same. I also want the paratroopers to deal with the defenses, snipers and all."

"Affirmative."

Dunois left to relay the info to the radio operators.

 **(Sadera - 1407 hrs.)**

Outside of the city, the armada of Allied air power began clashing with some of the best in the Luftwaffe as the fighters began the game of cat and mouse. As well, tanks and other vehicles commenced their assault.

"Get going!" One Allied soldier barked. "We need to push forward!"

German machine gun nests sprayed bullets as they try to slow their advance.

"We need fire support. Two MG42 nests and a single Tiger 700 yards out from my position." Another relayed the target to the tanks.

"Affirmative, moving to destroy." One British Sherman Firefly tank commander replied. "HE rounds on those MG nests!"

The remaining tank crews began loading the high-explosive round for it to be fired.

"I have the nests in sight." The gunner reported.

"Fire!"

The Firefly fired the round and it hit the nest, killing the gunners manning it.

"One nest down. Switch to the next one." The commander ordered.

Again, the crew loaded an HE round and fired at another nest with similar results.

"Switch to AP rounds. Commence attack on the Tiger."

The crew began loading the armor-piercing round and aimed at the side.

"Fire!"

The tank opened fire at the Tiger and it took damage. Though it is still running, the round created problems for them.

"Alright lads!" The commander commented. "Keep firing at that beast!"

The Tiger began aiming at the Firefly that attacked it. It began loading its AP round.

 _"I have enemy Firefly in sight."_ The German Tiger gunner reported.

 _"Fire!"_ The commander ordered but a hit from another Firefly hit the frontal armor.

"Nice save, Mitha." The first Firefly commander thanked.

"Roger that." The other replied. "How about we finish this off?"

The first then fired again, killing the gunner first. The second fired directly beside the barrel. Another shot was fired before the Tiger is disabled.

"Good work!" The soldier thanked. "Alright men, keep moving!"

The troops and the more vulnerable Stuarts and trucks moved forward as the C-47 prepared to send the paratroopers to the city.

"Alright, Sadera here we come!" Gallahand shouted.

"I wouldn't simply relax a little, Gallahand!" Travers replied. "The entire city is littered with Krauts. Besides, we have Piña here."

Then, one of the nearby C-47s was shot down by an Fw 190.

"Damn!" The pilot exclaimed. "We've lost one!"

In the cockpit of her P-47, Panache was seeing the devastation brought on by dogfighting and close air support.

"I can't believe it." She uttered. "So this is how air battles are fought in their world."

Then, Heimerich began to radio her.

"Jaguar 4-4, do you read me?" He asked.

"This is Jaguar 4-4, I can hear you." She replied. "What can I do?"

"Shoot down the planes targeting the transports. Any flying able aircraft that has an iron cross must be shot down. Jaguar 1-2 will help you."

"Copy that." She then began to engage an Fw 190 and fired the machine guns at the plane. The enemy tried to evade but it was bursting to flames.

"One down!" Panache confirmed. "Moving to the next."

Her plane began to pull away for the next kill just as Jaguar 1-2 arrived to help her. A few Bf 109s attempted to shoot the two down but they are in the same trouble moments after. In the C-47, the lights began to turn red.

"Stand up!" Patterson shouted. "Everyone, hook up!"

The soldiers under his command complied.

"Everyone, hope that we can get out safely." Harvey suggested.

Despite the AA fire, the lights turned green moments after, signaling the jump.

"Go, go!" Patterson shouted. "Get off the plane!"

Slowly, the soldiers jumped off the plane and almost immediately, their parachutes were deployed. Lelei can see how her companions were calm in this situation.

"Travers and his friends...they are calm after all." Lelei thought.

Once the team landed, they took off their parachutes and began arming their weapons. While Tuka got hold of her G43 sniper rifle, Lelei decided to stick with her magic and Piña settled for an MP40. Yao then has the StG-44.

"Listen up, we have some threats to deal with before we move on to the flying towers." Patterson briefed. "Travers, Tuka, Erston, Piña, Yao, head to the west. We have some tanks to help."

"Affirmative." Travers replied.

"Cross, Lelei, Rory, with me. We head south with Corporal McCann to clear the path."

"Got it, chief." Gallahand followed.

Then, Rory began to say something.

"Be careful out there." Rory said to Travers. "I hope you can get your friends home safely."

"You too." Travers followed back. "We'll be back. I promise."

"Move out!" Patterson uttered and the team split into two groups to deal with the threats.

On the way, a radioman began relaying information.

"All units within range of this transmission, be advised that 1st Special Company is engaged with enemy armoured forces and defenses. Move in and support the attack."

Travers' group encountered fierce resistance as some of the best of the S.S. began attacking the team. They took cover in time.

"Open fire!" Travers barked before firing.

The shootout occured as some with StG-44s began supporting their fellow soldiers.

"Princess, enemy at that scaffolding!" A German soldier then tried to shoot but the princess fired back, killing him.

"I got him!" Piña declared.

"Nice shot, Piña!" Yao congratulated while firing her StG-44. "There is still more!"

"What?!"

"A lot of them has the same weapon like that guy you just killed." Tuka explained. "They'll continue trying to kill us."

"Uhhhh...right!"

"Guys, watch it!" Erston warned while observing a few snipers. "They have sniper rifles!"

Erston and Travers began to shoot at the snipers. Though the latter fired some shots, they missed due to the constant barrage of lead.

"I got this!" Tuka assured before aiming her rifle at the other snipers, killing them.

"The snipers are done for!" Travers confirmed. "Keep fighting!"

In the southern section of the city, Patterson's team encountered fiercer resistance as a machine gun nest slowed their progress.

"They're putting up one helluva fight here!" Gallahand commented. "Guess they invested in a lotta weaponry to guard their loot."

"Yeah." Patterson agreed before firing his BAR. "Whatever they want, they are getting closer."

A few yards out, Rory was busy using her halberd to repel the German reinforcements. Corporal McCann, who entered the city a few minutes earlier, was helping her as well.

"How's the situation?!" McCann asked.

"They are getting desperate." Rory answered. "At that rate, the defenses will crumble."

"Alright, then."

Then, a Panzer IV arrived to reinforce the Germans.

"Rory, tank approaching." McCann observed.

"On it." The demigoddess then dashed toward the tank and began aiming towards Patterson and Lelei. The two then saw it.

"Damn!" Patterson uttered.

Then, Rory's weapon penetrated the barrel which surprised the Germans. Giggling with joy, she began attacking the turret and the Germans popped out to fire back. The girl killed them moments after.

"One less tank to worry about." McCann sighed. "I'll help the others."

"Go ahead." Rory answered. "I can handle things from here."

McCann left and reached Patterson and his group.

"Is there any weak spot?" McCann asked.

"We can flank them in those houses." Patterson suggested.

"Affirmative sir, moving out."

Lelei decided to join McCann with the plan.

"I'm coming." Lelei declared. "I'll try my magic."

As the Germans continued spraying bullets, Lelei and Corporal McCann quietly went near enough to unleash explosion magic on the enemy.

"Spirits of Fire, may I implore you to send thy rain of protection and defeat the impure that theatens the good of everyone!" She chanted before a magic circle appeared high above the German defenders. Fireballs were unleashed, scattering the Germans. This allowed Patterson and his colleagues to shoot back with some ease.

"Guess Lelei scared them good, huh?" Patterson observed.

Lelei and McCann returned.

"That magic gave us something to remeber." McCann commented on Lelei's magic.

"Lieutenant, we must hurry." Lelei reminded. "I fear the enemy is moving to attack."

Patterson nodded before Rory came.

"Rory, we're moving." Lelei said to her. "Thank you for eliminating the tank."

"You're welcome." The demigoddess replied.

The team began to move forward to meet up with the arriving Allied forces. In the west, tanks from both sides battle each other as the Allied tank battalion lead by former S.S. commander Borealis Norsoutha advance toward the city.

"Here they come, men!" Borealis announced as his unit were under fire by not just tank forces but also rocket attacks from Nebelwerfer launchers. "Time to launch the fireworks."

"I have the target in sight...hold on." The gunner observed.

"What is it?"

"We have Americans and magic girls attacking the defenses. Guess we can relax a little."

Travers and his team opened fire at the launchers, killing a large number of Germans in the process. Shortly after, they decided to use one of the Nebelwerfers to take out the tanks.

"Guys, use this." Travees suggested. "Let's give the tanks a warm welcome."

"On it, Travers." Erston agreed.

"So do I." Tuka followed.

Travers nodded before his team aimed the launcher at one of the Tigers.

"Fire!"

The rockets were constantly launched towards the targets. One of the Tigers was destroyed at the back before the same method was used on another tank. Borealis popped out of his Panzer IV, now under Allied hands, to see the explosions unfold.

"Guess that's the end of that!" Borealis uttered "Let's go! Erston's waiting for us."

He returned inside and the tank began leading the batallion and a number of vehicles and infantry units inside. When they entered, the tank stopped for the commander to see his friend waiting.

"Took you long enough, Borealis." Harvey greeted.

"Jawohl, my friend." Borealis replied. "Your allies are a great help to us."

Harvey nodded in reply.

"He's your friend, Harv?" Travers asked.

"Yeah." Harvey replied. "A defector during the Battle of Ardennes. Well...after Holt took out the dirty bomb."

"I see." Piña observed. "So a soldier from your enemy decided to defect and join you?"

"Yes, Princess. That's what wars could cause if they find something shocking."

"So, are we going?" Tuka asked.

"Yeah, let's go." Travers agreed and the allied forces moved deep inside enemy territory.

As Patterson's team moved ahead towards the Imperial Palace, Allied aircraft slowly established their air dominance over the Luftwaffe. When they closed in on the rockets, Patterson can see a large number of soldiers guarding it.

"There are the rockets." Patterson observed. "So does a lot of guards."

"Yes, indeed." Gallahand agreed. "They're gonna unleash hell on us."

"Get ready with your weapons." McCann said. "Things are gonna get nasty."

Patterson, Gallahand and McCann quietly armed their weapons as they began their sneak attack. Pulling the trigger, they managed to kill a significant number of Germans. The sight of Rory also worsened the situation of the enemy. Some paratroopers arrived in Patterson's position to bolster their efforts.

"Reloading!" Gallahand shouted as he began reloading.

"We got them on the run!" McCann observed.

The Allied forces slowly overwhelmed the Germans as the latter desperately tried to defend the rockets from falling. With the arrival of other Allied units, the surviving Germans decided to surrender.

"We did it!" Gallahand declared.

"Good work, men." Patterson congratulated. "Let's form up with Travers and Erston."

In the Akusho district, Allied forces began their assault on the Germans guarding the site. As well, the civilians the former rescued ran carefully toward their side as bullets and grenades were exchanged.

"Move forward!" One French captain shouted to his soldiers. "Keep the Germans pushed back!"

In the rooftops, two people were looking at the battle as they scout for more positions.

"Layla, how are things down there?" Marcus asked the warrior bunny.

"There are long magic staffs firing at our guys!" Layla observed.

"You mean the machine gun things? Alright, let's take them out."

The bunny nodded before aiming her Sten at the MG42 nests. Firing whatever bullets she have in her inserted magazine, the Germans lost their machine gun support.

"Gotcha!"

"Look out!" Marcus shouted as he observed two German soldiers attempting to kill them. Using his M1 Garand, he shot them.

"Thanks for the save!" Layla said.

"You're welcome." Marcus replied. "Let's regroup."

 **(1502 hrs.)**

At the south, the Sherman and Churchill tanks entered the city.

"Get moving!" One soldier said. "The city is almost free!"

After the tanks entered the city, the vehicles moved next. Once inside, some of the half-tracks dropped their men and they began to look for any targets.

"Alright gentlemen, let's show the Krauts how we fight." A British commander ordered.

Fighting continued as the Germans are being pushed back from the west and the south. At the Imperial Palace, Zorzal was infuriated with the losses the Germans sustained as most of the officers began to leave.

"How long are we going to wait?!" Zorzal uttered. "We must move!"

"But, your father and the others...what are we gonna do with them?" One of his men asked.

"We'll postpone the execution later. For now, get them to the Range of Ice and Snow."

"As you wish, Your Majesty." The men left to escort the prisoners.

Outside, Patterson and his team met up with Travers and the others.

"How are things in the west?" Patterson asked.

"We took down the defenses." Travers reported. "Nebelwerfers done for though we used one against some Tiger tanks."

"South is cleared as well. The city should be liberated in no time."

Then, one soldier came with some information.

"Lieutenant, we intercepted radio transmission from the Germans." He reported.

"Anything you found?" Patterson asked.

"Yeah. The prisoners are located in a prison north of the city. They might have political prisoners as well, followed by a detainee with the title of 'Emperor'."

The words the soldier said made Piña worried.

"Father." She uttered.

"If that's the case, we better save them right now." Tuka suggested.

Then, Harvey thought of something.

"Can we take a few Jeeps with us?" Harvey suggested. "We could get there in time."

"Good idea." Patterson agreed. "We need all the help we can get if we can reach them in time."

A soldier from the Empire came with a map.

"Princess, based on the information we have, His Majesty and the others are held in a prison below the Imperial Palace." He reported.

"Thank you for this." Piña thanked. "Your family will be proud."

The soldier bowed before leaving.

"Alright, let's get going!" Yao said and everyone leave for the palace.

A handful of men, mostly from the OSS, followed them in their rescue attempt. Hoping that her father is alive, Piña was filled with hope and concern.

 _A/N: This marks the battle to free Sadera. I decided to make it in two parts instead of one to better show the emotion and the ferocity of fighting. The liberation of the POWs will be in the next chapter. I decided also to include an OC from my friend in the Wikia community and I thank him for that._

 _Also, there is a small hiccup with the Panzerschreck name so I fixed that in the previous chapters._

 _See you._


	16. Chapter 16 - Point Blank

**(Sadera - May 20, 1945, 1508 hrs.)**

The fight took a toll on the Germans as the Allied forces pushed deep within the Imperial capital. In the streets, Patterson's team took a few Jeeps to head for the Imperial Palace at a fast pace.

"Travers, Erston, Marceau, take care of any Jerries that try to impede our way!" Patterrson ordered while driving. "We have to make it!"

"Yes sir!" The three replied. Then, a few Germans were on the balconies and windows of the buildings.

"I see three!" Travers and Tuka opened fire at the Germans. Moments after, they were shot dead while one of them fell off the balcony.

"So much of a defense, huh?" Tuka commented.

At another, Gallahand was also driving the Jeep carrying Lelei, Piña and Yao.

"How long are we going to stay in this?" Piña asked. "I'm going to feel sick!"

"Don't you want to see your father again?!" Yao rebuked. "We have people to save here!"

"Just shut up, I can't concentrate on the driving here!" Gallahand rebuked.

Then, a Panzergrenadier was spotted at the balcony attempting to fire the Panzerschreck.

"Take cover!" Piña fired her MP40, killing the German in the process.

"German on our tail?" Gallahand asked.

"Yes, a 'Panzergrenadier', I think."

"We better be careful! Those rockets can kill us in an instant."

As the team closed in on the Imperial Palace, Borealis' battalion head north to try and impede the German armoured units.

"Watch out, there may be tanks on the intersections." Borealis warned.

When they are about to cross an intersection, a Sherman in the middle was knocked out with a large explosion.

"What was that?!" One commander asked in shock.

"Stay clear!" The surviving tanks backed away from the intersection. "Any Allied unit, can someone identify the enemy on the intersection?"

"This is Jaguar 1-1, Affirmative. We'll check it out." Heimerich responded before flying lower to see for any hostiles. When he got lower, he found a gray tank that is larger than the others the Allies faced for the entire war.

"This is Jaguar 1-1, I have confirmation of an enemy tank. Large one with sloped armor and a long big gun."

The crew of Borealis were in shock.

"Don't tell me..."

"...a Maus is with them?! Damn all!"

"Everyone, we have to figure out how to take out the tank." Borealis radioed his battalion. "It would be a menace if it was left running."

When Patterson's team reached the Palace, they were greeted by scores of German soldiers and mages. Both sides fired their weapons as the former slowly made their way to the entrance.

"This is going to get nasty from this point!" Harvey shouted.

"Yeah, but we have to move fast!" Travers replied.

"Grenade!" Yao shouted before throwing the Stielhandgranate.

 _"Grenade! Take cover!"_ The Germans tried to find cover but the timed throw killed many upon detonation.

"Good job, Yao!" Gallahand commented. "How about we show the Germans how we fight back on our world?"

"I would like to see you try."

"Travers, let's push 'em back!"

"Got it, bud!" Travers agreed before reloading his BAR. "One, two, three!"

The duo moved swiftly towards the opposition, performing melee attacks as well as close-quarter gunfights. The Germans were caught in the middle before they were subdued by both sides. The girls were awed by their actions.

"I can't believe I'm seeing this!" Tuka expressed her amazement.

"That's how they fight." Rory followed. "The two are much braver than I thought."

They ran inside the building, only to encounter a few more guards and a Nazi Storm Elite.

"Take cover!" The Allied forces scrambled for cover though a few of them were killed by the Germans.

"Sir Travers, what was that monster with the long staff and the black armor?!" Piña asked with a surprised feeling.

"Storm Elites." Travers answered. "Don't wanna take them head on."

He turned his attention to Rory.

"Rory, now's your queue!"

"My pleasure, Boyd." Rory responded before dashing to eliminate the Storm Elite.

The rest of the soldiers opened fire at the Germans with the help of a few grenade tosses. Once the Elite is eliminated, the team can slowly move forward.

"Go, go, go!" Gallahand shouted as they move on.

When they reached the hallway, Patterson began to hand over the map to Travers.

"Travers, get your friends and the girls to the prison complex and rescue the prisoners. We'll secure the area." Patterson ordered.

"Affirmative." Travers replied. "Guys?"

"Right!"

They followed Travers to the prison complex. As well, Piña began guiding him where to go. They then found a stairway to the basement.

"Once we enter the staircase, the prison is up ahead." Piña said to him.

"Thanks for the help, Princess." Travers replied.

After passing through the stairs, a couple of armed men wearing German-made uniforms with a different color scheme were spotted. They began to aim for Travers' team but the latter shot them first.

"I wonder how many of those guys are still here, now that we are securing the top." Harvey uttered as Piña saw the dead.

"It's likely prison transport." Lelei responded. "Based on the battle that is raging on, I would say they are transferring to another camp, likely far from the front."

"Are you sure?" Yao asked.

"Yes."

Outside, the Panzer IV of Borealis was busy trying to catch the Maus' attention. With a few Allied tanks destroyed, the battalion was gradually losing their firepower.

"I need a few men to come with me and head out on foot!" Borealis ordered.

"What about you, sir?" One of his crew asked.

"I'll be fine, don't worry."

He went out of his tank and he has a couple of men with him.

"Let's go!"

With their sidearms, Gammon grenades and Comp B charges on standby, they closed in on the tank while shooting at any German soldier they encountered. Finding a ladder, they brought it to the side of the tank, allowing Borealis to climb up to the top of the turret. With his Walther P38 armed, he found one of the crew opening up the hatch. He knocked him out of the tank moments after, which caught the crew by surprise.

 _"It's that traitor!"_ The commander shouted. _"Kill him!"_

Two more crew members got out only to be shot dead by Borealis.

 _"Not this time."_ Borealis responded in German.

 _"Move now!"_

The tank started moving which caught the Allied soldiers with shock. The Maus then began swinging the turret in an attempt to throw Borealis off while moving. A roadblock was set up by the Shermans to try to impede the movement of the super-heavy tank but the former got through, pushing them off. Borealis used his limbs to send another crew member off the tank.

 _"Damn you!"_ The tank commander decided to go up to the top and face Borealis head-on. _"You could have rose up to the ranks if you stayed with the Fatherland!"_

 _"But not like this."_ Borealis responded. _"I won't let the country go down a path like right now!"_

 _"So do you! Agggghhhh!"_

The two began a brawl where the opponents try to push the other off the tank. Both men were strong enough to land a blow and sustain heavy beatings. The commander swing his leg to force Borealis to lie down.

 _"Had enough?"_ He taunted.

 _"Yup!"_ Borealis countered as he armed a Comp B charge and a Gammon grenade and threw it inside the turret. "See you later!"

He rolled himself away from the tank where he fell on the road. The commander was shocked when he found the explosive.

 _"Holy..."_

The Maus exploded in a large fireball and the threat is gone. A few Allied soldiers arrived to help Borealis.

"Norsoutha, Norsoutha, are you okay?!" One soldier asked as two soldiers began helping him.

"Yeah...ugghhh!" Borealis responded. "I'll be fine."

"We almost lost you back there. Mind if we send you back to Alnus?"

"No, just bring me to the Imperial Palace."

In the prison, Travers and his team were searching for prisoners. Armed with their weapons, they cautiously walked through. Then, cries for help were heard.

"Help us, we are in dire trouble!"

"Please! Save us!"

Travers noticed the cries and he began to assure them of their release.

"Don't worry, we're here to help!" Travers responded.

Piña began to figure out who are they rescuing.

"Everyone, those are the senators alongside their families." Piña said. "We need to free them and bring them to Alnus."

"We'll help." Tuka responded.

After finding the lock mechanism, they unlocked the bars holding them. Piña began to meet with one senator, Marquis Casel.

"Thank you, Your Highness, for freeing us." Casel said. "But what is that unusual clothes you are wearing?"

"No time to explain." Piña responded. "Get everyone upstairs."

"As you wish, but I have grave news for you?"

"What is it, Marquis Casel?"

"It was Zorzal. He brought us all into this. He allowed the army of the iron cross to occupy here and the nearby lands."

"What?!"

"So that explains everything." Harvey reacted. "The coup, the Germans in Sadera, it all fits now!"

"That bastard thinks he can run things his way, he is going down!" Gallahand followed with a grudge.

"But what about Father?"

"He is imprisoned on the deepest level of the prison. Even though we hate him for his actions, he can't suffer like this." Casel pleaded.

"We will."

"Rory, Yao, Lelei, get everyone out of here." Travers ordered. "We'll look for the Emperor."

"Please be safe." Lelei responded.

"May the gods bless you in this audacious journey." Yao followed.

"Tell the Germans I said hello." Rory finished.

"Thanks. We'll see you upstairs."

Travers, Tuka, Harvey, Gallahand and Piña left to look for Emperor Molt. For a while, the prison is lit with a few torches. Upon seeing a large reinforced doorway, Piña thought of something.

"Father, we are here now." Piña said quietly as Gallahand prepared the Comp B charge for a breach.

"Fire in the hole!" From a safe distance, the team saw the door explode, revealing a person chained both arm and leg.

"Nice explosion, Mr. Demoman." Harvey commented.

"I didn't know you are part of the Corps of Engineers." Travers wondered about Gallahand's position.

"Yeah, I would tell everything later."

The team then slowly walked through the path to the prisoner, who is an elderly man with blonde hair and beard. Piña walked close to her father.

"I'm here now, father." Piña spoke to him. "It's alright."

Molt slightly opened his eyes to see his daughter back.

"Pina...you came..."

"Father, we must go. Everyone, free him from the chains."

With their help, the team removed the cuffs.

"You know what happened?" The Emperor asked.

"Yes, Marquis Casel told me everything."

"We have to move now." Tuka said. "We can't stay here for long."

"Got it, Tuka."

Travers and Erston began assisting him in their long walk to the surface.

"That's it, just stay calm." Harvey urged.

After bringing Molt to the surface, Patterson and the remaining Allied soldiers arrived to assist.

"The Emperor is retrieved." Tuka reported. "All prisoners are accounted for."

"Good." Patterson replied. "Now, we must..."

A gunshot was heard and Travers saw Zorzal with his P38.

"You bastard!"

"I was afraid you showed up." Zorzal replied. "Now, what are you doing?"

"The question, Brother, is why are you doing this?!" Piña replied.

"Thanks to Colonel Erzenschwann, I have everything I wanted, power. Until you came to this!"

He began aiming the pistol at Piña and he began to pull the trigger.

"Piña!"

Molt began to shield his daughter from the bullet and it hit his left leg. Piña was far enough to escape.

"AAARRRGHHH!"

"FAAAATTTHHERR!"

Travers began arming his M1911 and he began pursuing Zorzal.

"Travers!" Harvey shouted. "What the hell are you doing?!"

"I'm going after him! Get the Emperor outta here, now!"

As he pursued Zorzal, he fired a few shots from his pistol but they missed. Zorzal fired back with the same result. When they reached the exit, Travers can see Zorzal in a Kubelwagen escaping with a German driver. Travers could only see when Gallahand arrived with disturbing news.

"Travers, Travers, we need to get out of here now!" Gallahand shouted. "V-1 attack incoming!"

"There is a truck we can use!" Travers responded. "We need to move!"

After taking the truck, the drove to the front where they are escorting a bleeding Molt out of the Palace.

"Get in!"

"Everyone to the trucks!" Borealis, who arrived a few minutes earlier, shouted.

They went inside before speeding off and Lelei and a medic began began treating Molt's wound.

"That's it. Just breathe in, breathe out."

The V-1 rocket arrived and it hit the now-abandoned palace with a high-explosive payload, turning it into complete rubble.

 **(Italica - 2144 hrs.)**

Arriving at an airstrip near Italica, the Emperor was taken to the Clan Formal Mansion, now converted into a temporary hospital with permission from Myui. Doctors and surgeons arrived to help him.

"He needs surgery, ASAP!" The medic requested. "Bullet wound on his left leg!"

As Molt was taken to be treated, Piña was worried about him and began to hug Travers.

"Are you sure he'll be fine?" Piña asked.

"Don't worry, he'll be okay. It's just a wound on his leg." Travers assured her.

Myui arrived and she saw the two.

"Lady Piña, we were worried when we recived news of Emperor Molt's injury." Myui said. "I hope he's alright."

Gallahand arrived.

"Travers, based on the information we have, we are starting to locate the main headquarters of the Germans here." Gallahand said.

"Any leads?"

"We might have. The Krauts destroyed almost every detail we can find. Maps, manuscripts, everything. But, we recovered a few prisoners, an Enigma machine and a report that details the next delivery of fresh supplies from the Arctic, some place called the 'Mountain Range of Ice and Snow'."

"The mountain range." Piña remembered. "That's where the waters of the Rho River come from."

"All we can do is wait for approval. If Zorzal is there, chances are the weapons are there as well and it's heavily defended by bunkers, AA guns, fighters and everything they got."

"I hope so. I can't..."

"Just stay calm, milady." Travers said.

 **(May 22, 1945 - 0832 hrs.)**

Molt was resting after the bullet he took was successfully removed. Piña arrived to visit him.

"I hope you are fine, father." Piña greeted him.

"I am glad you are safe, my daughter." Molt replied. "The men that treated me have elixirs that eases the pain."

"They did? I have to see that."

"It's okay. But, why are you wearing that?"

"I'm part of the OSS now, father."

"'OSS?'"

"Yes, the Office of Strategic Services of the United States of America. They arrived here in our world to stop the army of the iron cross, or 'Germany' for short. They also brought allies with them, England and France."

"I see. Those countries oppose 'Germany'?"

"They do."

With tears of joy, Piña hugged her father. Then, Travers and Duran in a wheelchair arrived to see them.

"I see that you are together at last." Travers commented.

"At least you are alive to hear us." Duran followed.

"King Duran, what are you doing here?"

"The man whom you have been rescued has made an alliance with the nations that currently oppose the Germans. We must put our troubles to rest and think of the future for all of us. He and the United Allied Armies are here to lead the way."

"And what's his name? I didn't asked him yet."

"Boyd Travers of the OSS, Your Majesty." Travers introduced himself while saluting.

"Travers, I thank you for protecting my daughter and Falmart. Is there anything I can do?"

Travers has an idea.

 **(0919 hrs.)**

After that, he went alongside Tuka to the outside.

"So you told him not to harm any non-human again and he'll create a future where we shall co-exist?" Tuka asked. "Thank you for this, Travers. Finally, we can freely make friends."

"It's our gift to not just you, but to everyone as well." Travers replied. "After all, fighting for freedom is what I want. Now I want to help people in my world as well."

"I'm glad you said it."

Yao and Lelei arrived to see the two.

"The politicians and the soldiers here on this world wants to thank you for helping them." Yao told them. "If I may, I will join you in your finest hour."

"What she said." Lelei continued. "We will help you with any means necessary."

"Thanks. Now, let's go meet up with the others."

The group then head for the tavern where the others are waiting.

 **(The Arctic - 1522 hrs.)**

Holt and his team were searching for the German base on foot despite the conditions.

"Are you sure the photos are correct?" Berg asked. "Something tells me we couldn't find it before they find us."

"Don't worry." Holt assured. "If we can find some light, that means we are getting close."

"We better, or we'll freeze to death."

The sound of a German convoy alerted the team.

"Take cover, enemy convoy inbound!"

The way they are going gave the team a clue.

"I think I know where they are going." Berg said.

 _A/N: We are approaching the last few chapters of the story, so I would like to say thank you all for enjoying. There is also an Unbreakable Machine-Doll crossover that I just started yesterday involving Holt and Berg and there will be some references to this fanfic._

 _Anyway, Sadera is free. Now, they will head for the Range of Ice and Snow to finish off the remaining German forces in the Special Region._

 _See you._


	17. Chapter 17 - Glimpse of the Past

**(Italica - May 22, 1945, 2036 hrs.)**

Patterson was radioing Alnus Hill after Lieutenant Rolando sent him a request from Colonel Balton. This is in regards to an invitation for a few from the Special Region to see the other side of the gate.

"Affirmative, we'll show them what our world has to offer." Patterson said his reply. "We'll be escorting them as well."

"Good, I'll be seeing your team in Regensburg." Rolando finished. "Over and out."

The static filled the speaker as the conversation ended. Gallahand arrived shortly after.

"Anything interesting, chief?" Gallahand asked.

"We're going on a little road trip back on our world." Patterson replied. "The Allies wanted to show Piña and the others our home as well as glimpses of what they could expect."

"Oh, is that so?"

"Positive. They would be surprised."

"I'll get Travers and the others to listen right now." Gallahand then ran off to find them.

"Be careful, Gallahand."

 **(2038 hrs.)**

"We're going back to Regensburg?" Travers and Harvey were surprised by what Gallahand said.

"It's true, Patterson said that!" Gallahand insisted. "Command has invited them to see."

"Well, we better help them in any way we can. Europe is busy recovering and we have Japs to deal with back in the Pacific." Travers continued. "I told Tuka about the other side days ago."

"So she'll be expecting many of them. That's a good start." Harvey commented. "By the way, we'll be seeing Borealis there for dinner tomorrow. He'll be busy with his family and he won't return here until next month."

"We'll be there."

Rory then appeared.

"What are you boys talking about?" She asked.

"Umm, well we are inviting you to go to the other side."

"Really?! We want to go right now!"

"Tomorrow, Rory." Travers replied. "It's getting late."

"Uhhhh...why noooot?!"

"We need some rest for now. Just wait."

 **(Alnus Hill - May 23, 1945, 0845 hrs.)**

Everyone arrived at the entrance as the truck waiting for them arrived.

"You sure you can handle this? We already won the war after all over there." Travers asked.

"Uh, I could." Piña replied. "Please take care of us."

"The day when we cross the gate to the unknown." Lelei commented. "I couldn't believe we are going to see their world with our own eyes."

"I agree. Whatever we can see, try to calm down." Yao responded. "Especially when the men in green knew a lot of those things."

Patterson then began to remind his allies if they are ready.

"Everyone ready? Let's get going."

They boarded the truck and the driver then turned his vehicle to the entrance. Driving through the darkness, the passengers can see Alnus fade from sight. Most of the girls were getting a bit nervous since they left their world for another. Then, light can be seen on the front.

"There it is, folks." The driver announced. "The staging area before the tunnel."

The truck exited the tunnel and appeared at the Allied base to the Special Region near Regensburg.

"It's good to be back here." Travers commented. "The familiar air, the calm atmosphere..."

"...the feeling of war that is already gone right now." Gallahand finished.

The driver decided to stop for a while so that the others can disembark to see the landscape, one filled with green trees, concrete, vehicles and planes.

"I can't believe that I'm walking on marble." Tuka said in amazement.

"That's concrete you're stepping on." Patterson reminded. "It's cheaper to get and mold."

"'Con-crete'."

The girls were wondering around while the boys took some time to talk. Rory was busy looking at the blue sky above her when Yao came.

"Feeling excited, Rory?"

"Yeah. One way or another."

 **(Regensburg - 1137 hrs.)**

The truck arrived at the city where they saw in its beauty despite Allied bomber attacks during the Schweinfurt–Regensburg mission and the other strategic bombing campaigns. Because the city suffered surprisingly little damage, this allowed the girls to marvel at the old buildings.

"Wow!" The girls uttered with excitement.

"I wonder that despite the war, the city looks mostly undamaged." Lelei expressed her curiosity. "Shouldn't it be damaged by now?

"That was luck, Lelei." Harvey explained. "I heard from a few guys that they were targeting a nearby aircraft factory and a refinery for one of the most important resources in our world. Oil, the black sticky stuff."

"Okay. Mind if take a look at it?"

"We'll try to find one sooner or later."

"Speaking of that, take a look at those buildings." Piña followed. "Their beauty reminds me of home."

"Yeah, it was the cultural center of Southern Germany." Travers explained. "After reading a few books about it, I was curious about the city, but wartime postponed my plans. Luckily, we have some free time for ourselves."

While Patterson was having a talk with Lieutenant Rolando, Piña nodded with a smile.

 **(1321 hrs.)**

After lunch, their first stop was at the famed Stone Bridge. Tuka and Piña are seeing the riverflow of the Danube River while listening to a legend surrounding the bridge itself.

"According to legend, the bridge was built in eleven years thanks to the apprentice of a builder who was believed to have made an agreement with the Devil in exchange for three souls." A German familiar with it explained. "When it is done, the cathederal hardly started construction so for the better of the citizens, a chicken, a cat and a dog were used to fool the Devil. Realizing this, he tried to destroy it to no avail. And this is how the bent shape of the bridge came along."

"Whoa!" Bozes was surprised. "Is this even real? Was the bridge protected by magic?"

"It's a legend so it's not taken seriously." Harvey answered. "Not everyone would believe that and they figured out what really happened."

"How?"

"Science and archaeology, Bozes."

"You are quite serious about this, young lady. There are other legends that we can show you as we go along."

The next part of the tour was the Regensburg Cathederal. Even by the Special Region's standards, it was quite tall.

"I'm impressed that they can build buildings like that." Rory commented. "Hey, when can we go inside?"

"We are going, Rory." Travers answered. "But we have to keep quiet when we're there."

Once inside, they are awed by the interior as they began exploring with respect. The artwork was just as impressive as well.

"The ambience sure looks proper." Gallahand uttered. "By the looks of it, I could do a little prayer before we move on."

Shortly after exiting the cathederal, they head for a bakery that makes Dampfnudel for dessert. The taste of the different varieties has made them awed.

"This bread is delicious." Lelei said. "I'm bringing some for Master Kato when we get back."

"Go ahead." Patterson agreed. "There are some varieties that could suit him."

Lelei began ordering a few pieces that will be saved for the Special Region.

 **(Norsoutha residence - 1920 hrs.)**

The team arrived at the house of Borealis where they were to have some dinner with him. Travers knocked on the door to inform them of their arrival.

 _"Who is it?"_ A female voice asked.

 _"It's Mr. Erston, Mrs. Norsoutha."_ Harvey replied in German _"We are friends of Borealis."_

Mrs. Norsoutha opened the door and was excited to see Harvey and his friends.

"Good eveninng, everyone. My husband was anticipating your arrival tonight."

"Thanks for the warm welcome, Mrs. Norsoutha." Patterson thanked her. "Guys, let's get inside."

They went inside and shortly after, dinner was served. Borealis was there as well.

"So the higher ups decided to show a few girls from the Special Region what our world has to offer." Borealis wondered. "That was unexpected."

"Yeah, they did." Travers answered. "So far, they enjoyed their time here."

"I'm happy to hear that."

"How's your injury?" Gallahand asked.

"Not serious. It will heal up in a while."

"Boyd, can you pass me that Tafelspitz?" Tuka asked while holding her plate.

"Sure." He then gave a piece of Tafelspitz to Tuka.

"Thank you."

"The food is good here so far, sir." Yao said to him. "By the way, Harvey told us about you being a former German soldier. If true, we would be surprised."

"It's true. I defected during the Battle of the Ardennes a few months prior. There is a story I would like to tell."

Everyone began to listen to the German's account.

"It all began on a snowy day..."

 **(Flashback)**

 **(Near Von Schrader's bunker - December 17, 1944)**

A lone Panzer IV was heading for the Allied frontlines after abandoning its unit that was supposed to support the forces of Graf von Schrader. Borealis and his crew were cautious due to the Germans pursuing them.

 _"How far are we from the pursuit unit?"_ Borealis asked his radioman.

 _"They are still on our tails but so far they haven't seen us yet."_ The radioman answered.

 _"Alright, keep moving and try to radio the Allies for help."_

As they moved on, another Panzer IV appeared from the front. It fired its main gun but it missed once the driver turned hard.

 _"Damn, they found out!"_

 _"Return fire!"_

The rogue Panzer opened fire and it knocked the tracks of the enemy out.

 _"Go, go, go! We need to move!"_

The tank drove past the disabled one before firing at the turret. Then, a King Tiger appeared to help take Borealis out.

 _"They're still not giving up?"_ The driver uttered in shock. _"Damn those bastards!"_

The radioman began changing the frequency to the one used by the Allies to radio for help.

"We need help!" The radioman pleaded! "Enemy tanks...pursuing us!"

"Mind if you identify yourself?" The Allied officer asked.

"This is Borealis Norsoutha, we are defecting S.S. operatives and we need your help!" Borealis replied after taking the radio.

"Affirmative, we'll help. Just say what you look like and we can get someone to assist."

"White Panzer IV with number 010! Red numbers!"

The chase was still on. Then, a violent shake was felt.

 _"What the...where did that come from?!"_ The loader wondered.

 _"Whatever it is, we have to keep moving!"_

As the tanks race towards the frontlines, a few Panzergrenadiers appeared to stop them. Then, sniper shots were fired at them, killing the group. An OSS operative with a Springfield directed his colleagues to get the Panzerfausts and Panzerschreks.

"Use these to take them out." The operative ordered. "Time to show them how not to treat an angry soldier."

"Affirmative, Erston." His squadmate replied.

Once the rockets are in possession, they aimed for the King Tiger and they fired the rockets. Thought they didn't cause significant damage, it was enough for Harvey to use it as cover to sneak behind and plant a Comp B charge. After running to a safe distance, the tank was disabled.

"Good job, boys!" Harvey congratulated. "Looks like our job is done for today."

Borealis and the crew felt relieved that their pleas for help are answered and they went outside to greet the men who saved them.

"Borealis Norsoutha, nice to meet you." The commander introduced himself.

"Harvey Erston, OSS." The operative followed. "Nice to meet you as well."

The two became friends immediately after.

 **(End of flashback)**

"Wow!" Bozes exclaimed. "That's a nice story you showed to us."

"Thanks." Borealis responded. "It's nice to say good things about it."

Harvey then began to ask something.

"Is there any news for your battalion?"

"Jawohl. I received news that a couple of Japanese girls from Ooarai are taking part of the action after a similar incident happened in Manila more than three months ago. From what I read, the crew was lead by Miho Nishizumi and they were once part of the Japanese Secret Services."

"Another Borealis, eh?" Rory wondered.

"Yep." Gallahand agreed. "I wonder what did they stumble this time."

"Anyway, for now, we just enjoy ourselves. You have a few days off so no need to worry."

A knock was heard.

"I'll get it." Mrs. Norsoutha began running towards the door. When she opened it, Lieutenant Rolando was at the front.

"Mrs. Norsoutha, good evening." He greeted her. "I need to speak with Patterson at once.

"You may." She agreed before calling Patterson's attention. "Patterson, it's your officer."

Rolando arrived at the dinning room.

"Sorry to interrupt but we have found out where Erzenschwann and Zorzal are hiding. Command wants to get your asses back at Alnus immediately."

"Alright, we'll be there." Patterson replied. "Norsoutha, it's time we leave."

"Jawohl." Borealis responded. "Good luck on finishing off him and his allies. Tell him I said hello."

The group nodded before leaving the house.

 **(Alnus Hill - 2335 hrs.)**

The team and the other Allied soldiers arrived at the briefing room where the officer for the mission is Colonel Brandon himself.

"Good morning, everyone." Brandon greeted. "I know it's late in the evening but the sooner we take Erzenschwann out the sooner we can get home to our friends and families."

The projector then revealed a photograph of the base in the Mountain Range of Ice and Snow.

"We have now located the main German base of operations in the Special Region, codenamed 'Mount Qual'. It is a heavily-defended fortress protected by numerous AA weaponry, bunkers and elite troopers, the best of the best. We've lost numerous recon planes to get this information. This base also houses destrucive weaponry, some from the Wunderwaffe and others designed to use magic. If it were unleashed here and in Europe, things will be in chaos. Your mission is to finish off Erzenschwann and the weapons project. Do note that the attack on the Arctic base lead by Holt will commence at the same time so you might see him in Mount Qual."

He has some last words to say before the operation begins.

"Everyone, you have done great things not just for our world, but here as well. The Germans are on its final legs and it's our job to cut those off. This will be the final test of skills, courage, honor and bravery. I'm glad you are still here with us today to see the moment. I will see you back home for a celebration. Dismissed!"

The soldiers saluted after standing up.

"Boyd, we'll get those bastards." Gallahand assured him.

"This time."

"All set, Travers?" Patterson asked.

"Yes, sir."

"Good, we're counting on you."

"Boyd, we'll be alright as long as we are together." Tuka assured him. "We'll watch our backs."

Boyd nodded. Then, the air armada was in final preparations for the assault. Lelei then went to Master Kato to say a few things.

"Master, you taught me numerous things that means good to everyone." Lelei said. "Here I am now, ready to do what is right. Master, pray that we come back home to see each other"

"Alright. Even by now, some of your personality didn't change." Kato replied. "I thank you for the bread you brought back from the other side. They are good."

"Thanks as well. I'll be leaving."

"Good luck, Lelei."

Lelei joined with her team as Patterson was at the pilot's seat ready to take command of the paradrop.

"Alright, time to do this." Patterson uttered. "Let's go."

The C-47 taxiied to the runway while being followed by the others. Once there, he began to radio the tower.

"We are at the runway, requesting take-off clearance."

"Affirmative, cleared for take-off." The tower replied. "Good luck and Godspeed."

As the planes began taking off, people from both worlds see them leave for their final sortie. Myui, Grey, Duran, Balton and many others were watching.

"Good luck!" Balton said quetly as they flew high.

 _A/N: This will be the final break ark before the final operation begins. Everything is set in motion for an epic fight._

 _See you later._


	18. Chapter 18 - Day of Fated Reckoning

**(Office of Strategic Services, London branch - May 24, 1945, 0031 hrs.)**

The headquarters was filled with officers and radiomen as they are about to launch an assault on two fronts. One takes place in the Arctic while the other was held in the Mountain Range of Ice and Snow in the Special Region. Colonel Stanley Hargrove arrived to oversee the operation.

"I need a report of the troop movements in the Arctic and Special Region." He requested.

"Sir, we are mobilizing the units as we speak. We even recieved word that an air assault and paradrop are taking place to take out the last German fortress on the other side of the gate." An officer detailed.

"Good, we're counting on them."

 **(The Arctic - May 23, 1945, 2239 hrs.)**

Holt and Berg got their reinforcements after they relayed their findings early on.

"Guess the cavalry has arrived, eh?" Berg commented.

"Yep, just in time too." Holt replied. "Looks like we're about to have another Virus House."

"I wouldn't certainly disagree."

After getting the men assembled and the tanks on stand-by, a small team led by Holt sneaked inside the base with some ease. After reaching a building, they opened fire at the Germans, surpring them. They scrambled to return fire when Holt radioed Berg.

"Berg, now's your queue." He said.

"On it." Berg replied. "Assault units, move out!"

Berg and the remaining forces fired at the outer perimeter, effectively forcing the Germans to fight on two fronts.

"Maintain cover and keep an eye out for any Jerry tank or plane. Don't let them give us some trouble."

As expected, three King Tigers and three Panzer IVs showed up to defend the base. The sound of a few Bf 109s filled the air as well.

"This is Sergeant Frost, we need air support." A soldier requested. "Five Bf 109s plus six tanks, King Tigers and Panzer IVs. How copy, over?"

"This is Puma 3-1, roger. Moving to support." The pilot replied.

Berg began moving towards Holt to meet up. As he ran, the battlle became heated with a few tanks lost mostly to air attacks by the P-47s. Fire and smoke became one of the sights as well. The Germans then took aim at Berg before the later began retaliating. Once he reached to Holt, he took cover.

"Have you seen the gate?" Holt asked before firing his weapon.

"Yeah, over there." Berg replied while pointing at the gate. "It's heavily defended. They don't want to give it up that easily."

"Okay, we'll move slow and use cover as we head for the other side. Any Jerry that is firing at you, take 'em out."

Berg nodded.

( **Mountain Range of Ice and Snow - May 24, 1945, 0345 hrs.)**

As the Allied air forces approached Mount Qual, Piña was getting anxious. The dark skies, while perfect for a surprise drop, made it hard for pilots to see.

"How far are we to the base?" She asked. "I need to know."

"We should be approaching the drop zone shortly. About five minutes from now, we should be down near the perimeter." Patterson answered.

"Okay, carry on."

Travers was getting a bit tired.

"Gallahand, still awake, are you?" He asked Gallahand.

"Yep. As soon as we are done with this, I'm off to a vacation in Hawaii." Gallahand replied.

"What is 'Hawaii', anyway?" Tuka asked.

"An island paradise in our world."

"Really? I wan't to go there!"

"We'll see."

Suddenly, German AA fire lit up the night sky.

"Here it comes! Looks like they are in for their last stand in this world." Travers uttered.

Heimerich then ordered his wingmen and the other Allied squadrons to attack.

"Guys, this is it! Give 'em hell!"

"Roger!" Panache and the rest then split to engage a mixed force of Bf 109s, Fw 190s, He 163s and Me 262s.

The sky became a battlefield as the cat-and-mouse chase began.

"Almost there." Panache uttered as she aimed for the engine of a He 163. A few bursts sent it on fire.

"He's down!"

"Copy...hold on, I have one on my six!" Heimerich replied when he saw a Bf 109 on his back.

"I'm on this guy, sir. Just hang on!"

As Heimerich began maneuvering to try and shake it off, Panache got to the chase. A German then noticed the pursuing P-47 and began breaking off. Panache then fired the machine guns.

"Thanks! Now, let's go! Gotta help the others!"

While the fight continues, the German AA managed to shot down three C-47s before hitting the left engine of Patterson's plane. It wasn't long before he realized it won't make it back.

"Everyone, stand up and prepare!" Patterson shouted. "Gus, keep that thing steady!"

"Roger, lieutenant!" The pilots then handled the doomed plane to its DZ as the rest began to hook up.

"Hope that thing doesn't break!" Tuka prayed.

"Let's hope so!" Yao agreed.

The plane was still receiving some AA fire even if it's going down. After reaching the DZ and losing some altitude, the green light was lit.

"Go, go, go!"

The soldiers went out of the burning plane as Patterson and Gus began to go out as well. Rory dropped from her parachute before proceeding to attack a few German bunkers, clearing the way for a safe path.

"That was a close call." Lelei commented. "A few more and we are sure to be dead."

They then saw the plane crashing away from the base.

"Looks like there's no turning back until this mission is done." Harvey followed.

Patterson then signaled his allies to come closer.

"Listen up, Erzenschwann and Zorzal are hiding in the base." Patterson briefed. "We have a couple of guys surrounding the mountains and we can't let them get away with the plans. We have to take 'em out."

"Roger!"

"Let's move!"

The team then slowly approached the outer perimeter of the base. An MG42 nest and a couple of German soldiers greeted them with gunfire.

"I see them!" Tuka observed before firing her G43 at the nest.

"Thanks, Tuka!" Gallahand replied. "Now, it's our turn! Boyd!"

"Got it!"

The duo then slowly closed in on the remaining Germans. Expertly firing and covering, the Germans suffered from the duo's coordinated attack.

"All clear!" Travers confirmed.

"Nice one!" Piña thanked. "That should give us some room."

"Let's go, we still have some work to do."

They began to walk towards the gate where the teams of Sergeant Sorey and Lieutenant Morean were forced to take cover thanks to a few golems, machine gun nest and a Panzer IV.

"I can see mutiple Germans using multiple magic and gunpowder weapons guarding that gate." Lelei observed. "We have to catch them by surprise."

Harvey, Tuka and Travers began preparing their sniper rifles as Lelei began casting a spell to attack them. Unleashing the snow around her, it forced the enemy to cover themselves but not from the bullets of a few highly-trained marksmen and the might of Rory's weapon. The team began to rendezvous with the two commanders.

"Glad to have our butts saved thanks to you." Sorey thanked the team. "The Germans sure are putting one helluva fight to the death."

"You're welcome." Patterson replied. "On to more pressing matters."

"We have only a handful of men left. The loss of a few transports would surely make the job harder even with the help from our planes above." Morean explained. "Luckily, command has managed to send a few tanks here and they will arrive in ten minutes."

"Alright, thanks for the heads-up. Let's go."

"Merci."

The teams began storming the base. Encountering more MG nests and a small number of King Tiger tanks, they moved with caution while firing back.

"Take cover!"

The sight of some trenches and foxholes gave Gallahand an idea.

"There are some long lines of trenches and foxholes we can use." Gallahand suggested before firing the BAR. "That would keep us covered but watch out for any Germans in those things."

"Alright." Yao agreed.

As they entered, they reloaded their weapons for possible close-quarter combat.

"Keep your eyes open." Piña warned.

As they moved forward, they found a pair of Panzergrenadiers alongside a few regular German soldiers. Piña and the girls took the chance to eliminate them.

"Nice one...and we have a Panzerschreck we can use." Rory congratulated.

"They sure do put up quite an act." Harvey commented. "Anyway..."

They got hold of a Panzerschreck before Piña fired it at a bunker to force the gunners to take cover, allowing the snipers to finish them off when they returned in an attempt to fire back.

"One bunker taken care off." Lelei observed. "Just watch out for more."

"The tanks also." Yao followed. "Don't get aimed by those guns."

With Rory's help, they maneuvered their way to the Tigers. With Comp B charges planted at separate moments, they were eliminated.

"That should be the last." Tuka hoped.

"Not yet." Harvey rebuked before killing the remaining German soldiers. "Okay, now that should be the last."

The team continued on as they scan for any hostile forces. A Panzer IV caught the eyes of the team before they took cover to hide.

"One Panzer at our twelve, 300 meters ahead." Gallahand observed. "Also a couple of Waffen troopers. Looks like we are getting close."

"Probably." Rory replied. "Boyd, may I take them out?"

"As long as it's not in our way, you can." Boyd agreed.

"Thanks." She then left off to attack the Panzer and the troopers with ease.

"Guess that's that. Let's go."

In the headquarters, the Germans were scrambling to defend the base as the Allied forces slowly closed in.

 _"This is the West Section, we are taking fire from enemy ground and air forces!"_ One commander reported from the western defenses. _"We need..."_

Static replaced the transmission indicating that the Allies eliminated them. The radioman in charge ran to Colonel Erzenschwann to send the news.

 _"Colonel, we've lost the western section of the defense!"_ He relayed the findings. _"I'm not sure how long can we last!"_

 _"Very well, prepare the V-2 for launch immediately."_ Erzenschwann ordered. _"Send it straight to Alnus."_

 _"Roger."_ The radioman left to relay the order. Zorzal then arrived.

"What's going on?" He asked.

"It appears that the Allies are here to stop us. Your sister might be with them."

"Damn Piña! Then, I'll stop her right here!"

"I wouldn't recommend fighting her yet." Erzenschwann warned. "With all that training the Allies gave to her plus the combat experience she received back at Sadera, it would be clear that it is hard to do so."

Zorzal felt angry and left moments after.

"Humph, I wonder what the idiot is doing now."

After reaching the inner part of the base, the Allies suffered some casualties as they close in on the building.

"Grenade out!" One soldier shouted before throwing.

"It's no good, sir!" A subordinate observed. "You sure we can be fine?"

"We'll be okay." Sorey assured. "The building is a few meters away."

A bullet from a German assault rifle shot Sorey in the arm.

"AAAARRGGGHHH!"

"Sergeant Sorey..." Travers shouted.

"I'm fine! Just go ahead, we'll meet you outside!"

"Affirmative, stay safe!" Gallahand said.

As Patterson's team left, Lieutenant Morean began treating the wound with anything useful they have.

"Okay, Monsieur, just stay calm and we'll get you to a medic." He calmly said to Sorey before escorting him out to safety with a few men.

On the window, Erzenschwann watched the team of Patterson enter the building. With optimism, he began to get hold of a highly-customized StG-44.

"I'm going to enjoy this." He said to himself.

Inside, Lelei sensed something unusual.

"I can sense something unusual about this place." Lelei said. "As if...there is a magic source nearby."

"You sure?" Yao asked.

"I'm sure. We need to hurry up before the Germans can launch something dangerous at Alnus."

"Wait! Alnus?" Patterson asked.

"It's likely they will do it."

"Let's move out, guys!" Travers uttered. "We have to stop them."

Patterson, however, has other ideas.

"Travers, get your team and find Erzenschwann and Zorzal." Patterson ordered. "Me, Lelei, and Yao will handle the weapons."

"But...sir..."

"Don't worry, we can cover more ground. I'll see you outside."

Travers, for a while, stood silent before giving out his answer.

"Affirmative."

"Good luck, Travers." Yao said. "I wish you the best."

"Thanks, Yao. Let's move out!"

The team split to efficiently remove the threats. As Travers' group ran, he has some thoughts.

"Erzenschwann, we will find you!"

 _A/N: If you are wondering about the different times being written in the story, I did the best I can to establish proper timing through some research. The final battle is coming and the last chapter will be way longer than this._

 _Leave some reviews for the improvement. See you._


	19. Chapter 19 - Towards a Bright Future

**(Mountain Range of Ice and Snow - May 24, 1945, 0432 hrs.)**

As Travers and his team moved on, a couple of German soldiers arrived to try and block their advance. Instead, they received deadly bursts of bullets as each soldier fell. Some began reloading to make sure.

"C'mon, there is no time to waste!" Travers uttered. "If we wanna get Erzenschwann and Zorzal, we have to fight as fast as possible!"

"Yes sir!" The rest replied.

Suddenly, Erzenschwann's voice was heard from the speakers.

"Ah, so if it isn't the soldiers who pestered us the whole time, eh?" Erzenschwann greeted. "How fascinating."

"So if it isn't Colonel Erzenschwann?" Piña uttered. "That despicable ally of my brother."

"You probably have noticed where are we sending the V-2 by now, I presume. You better hurry up if you don't want that to happen."

"We will." Travers accepted. "Let's go!"

The team continued moving. Near the launch site, a fierce firefight ensued between Patterson's team and a large group of the remaining German resistance.

"Things are starting to turn downhill, guys!" Yao uttered before throwing a live grenade. "Don't give up!"

The German mages appeared to try and help the embattled gun-wielding counterparts.

"Lelei..."

"Affirmative."

She then began casting some spells to launch fireballs and ice at them, allowing Patterson to throw a few grenades at the mages. Some survived to summon golems in return.

"Damn, those Jerries!"

"I have an idea."

Suddenly, she chanted a spell to unleash a horde of ice golems.

"Whoa!" Yao uttered in surprise. "I din't know she can do that."

"Don't worry, we will survive!" Lelei assured.

With the help of the ice golems, the team began unleashing a relentless assault on the German forces. Slowly, they've lost the men needed to defend the site, effectively allowing Patterson and his team to move.

"That should make things easy." Patterson commented before grabbing a StG-44 along with the ammo.

When they reached the site, they found one V-2 prepared for lift-off.

"That weapon...it has to be taken down." Lelei declared.

"Yeah." Yao replied. "...for the better."

As they moved, a few gunshots were heard, forcing the team to cover.

"Looks like we have a couple of stragglers here. Let's finish them off."

This time, another gunfight took hold in the site. The team returned fire.

"Patterson sir, on your left!" She pointed at a few German Waffen officers attempting to fire back but Patterson noticed them and killed them in return.

"Thanks, Yao!" Patterson thanked. "Glad you took notice."

"Affirmative, let's continue."

 **(0445 hrs.)**

After entering the gate from the Arctic base, Holt and Berg began looking at their surroundings to confirm where they are now.

"Looks like we are in the German hideout in the Special Region." Berg confirmed. "Man, that's a lot of lead thrown."

"Okay, let's find and regroup with any allied units nearby." Holt said. "Keep an eye out for any Krauts."

They ran to the main building to check for any signs of friendly or hostile forces. Back inside, Travers and his team found Erzenschwann and his remaining men, armed with assault rifles and portable MG42s.

"Well, well. I wouldn't be surprised." The colonel said to the team. "The OSS and the princess among you."

"For a crazy German, you should have realized that your damn country lost already!" Gallahand responded. "We took out all of your toys and you don't have the guts to takes us on."

"I heard that the Fatherland lost and I took extra precaution for our return. But no, we have the guts to fight as you Americans say."

"What do you mean?" Travers asked.

"Once we wiped Alnus off the map, we will storm back to Europe and use the magic we have acquired to spread fear and terror within the ranks of the Allies and the civilians. Zorzal will also rule here as well."

"Why you..." Piña tried to march forward before Tuka stopped her.

"Just stay calm, milady!" Tuka responded. "They got us surrounded."

"Unfortunately, you people will be wiped out miserably. Same goes for you, Apostle of Emroy."

"How did he..." Rory uttered in shock.

 _"Prepare to fire."_ Erzenschwann ordered before the men armed their weapons.

"Please, give us a miracle." Harvey prayed.

"Auf wiedersehen, Americans!"

Suddenly, a few grenades were thrown from an unknown source. They exploded, killing many of the Germans and surprising Erzenschwann and the rest before gunfire replaced the explosions. The Germans began returning fire.

"What the...?"

"Now's our chance!" Tuka shouted before the team opened fire. In the confusion, Erzenschwann was unscathed before Zorzal and a few of his men arrived.

"Colonel, we must move!" Zorzal suggested. "My sister and her allies will go after us!"

"Ugh...okay then! Let's get out of here!"

"What about the rocket?!"

"We're going to launch it ourselves!" Erzenschwann angrily replied. "My men are nothing but expendable pieces of tools!"

Zorzal and Erzenschwann began heading for the control room. Then, Holt and Berg showed up as the ones who surprised them.

"Glad to save our skins thanks to you...again." Harvey greeted.

"No sweat." Holt replied. "Just go after Erzenschwann."

"We'll take care of things from here." Berg followed.

"Thanks." Travers replied. "Tell everyone to get out of here while Patterson and the others are placing explosives on the rocket."

"You got it."

Travers nodded to give the team the order to follow. Holt began radioing the nearby units.

"This is Lieutenant Holt, to all units, evacuate the area immediately!" He ordered. "I repeat! Evacuate the area immediately!"

Outside the base, the surviving Allied troopers heard the order.

"It's Lieutenant Holt!" Sergeant Sorey noticed while being treated for his wounds. "Why would he order us to get out of the area right now?"

"Maybe something bad is coming out from that base!" Morean thought. "Those left behind must be finishing the job right now."

"Okay, then. Let's go!"

They began escaping to alert the reinforcements of what's coming.

As they ran in pursuit, a few Germans, some of which being Storm Elites, try to impede their advance.

"This looks like the last of the remaining men the Germans have in store." Rory observed. "We should have no problems once they are banished from the mortal realm."

"Good thinking." Tuka agreed. "Stay cover and lob some explosives if possible."

 _"Don't let them get through!"_ A German soldier barked while firing.

"Uh, please!" Piña uttered before throwing a grenade. "Grenade out!"

With the timing in place, it exploded moments after, killing the Germans.

"Go! Go!" Gallahand barked.

After reaching the control room, Erzenschwann and Zorzal walked calmly before seeing the launch site under the threat of Patterson's team.

"Damn him and his team!" Erzenschwann uttered in shock.

"What the hell's going on?!" Zorzal asked.

"They're about to blow up the rocket! If they do, the explosive force can wipe out the entire base! We must stop them!"

A gunshot forced the two to see Travers and his team ready to fire.

"Missed us?" Travers taunted.

"Ugh! Why do you have to insult us like that?!"

Erzenschwann opened fire from his StG-44 forcing the team to take cover. They began exiting the control room from another doorway.

"After them!" Gallahand shouted. "Don't let these bastards get away!"

They began following them and they saw the duo trying to close in on Patterson. Travers began breaking off to use the crates as shortcut. Piña followed.

"Where are you two going?!" Tuka asked.

"Just find a motorpool and get us some cars to use!" Travers ordered.

"Why would he order us to do that?!" Rory wondered.

"Something tells me the rocket is very high-explosive." Gallahand thought.

"Then let's get them ready." Harvey agreed before they head out for the motorpool.

Travers and Piña began closing in on Erzenschwann and Zorzal.

"Sir Travers, Zorzal's mine." Piña said.

"How about you?" Travers asked. "You'll get yourself killed!"

"You trained me to do this. Now, I must put this into practice."

Travers was having some worries before agreeing to this.

"Okay. Be careful."

Piña nodded before jumping to land at Zorzal hard. Noticing it, Erzenschwann began drawing his P38 pistol but it is interrupted by Travers. They were both drawn to a hand-to-hand brawl.

"I can't let you do this!" Piña scolded while fighting. "Just give up and your life will be spared!"

"Not by the likes of you!" Zorzal rebuked before launching a failed punch at his sister.

"Why would you abandon father and the rest of us?!"

"I had enough of him and you for the matter! Don't get in my way!"

Piña evaded the kick from her brother and the latter's right leg was momentarily stuck. When he noticed Piña was gone, he began finding her.

"Where are you, sister?"

When he looked up, Piña attacked from above and the rogue prince drew his dagger to try and stab Piña. The princess, however, got hold of the handle.

"I'm sorry...brother..."

She suddenly pointed the dagger at Zorzal and she stabbed him.

"Why-why...did you..."

"I can't see you do this anymore." Piña replied with remorse before Zorzal breathed his last breath.

Erzenschwann suffered a few blows from Travers before escaping from the site. Travers began following with his sidearm armed within the maze of crates and barrels.

"Where are you this time?" Travers asked before a gunshot missed him. Noticing Erzenschwann, he fired back and returned to chasing him.

As he scoured the path, Travers was cautious on where he's going. He then turned left based on where the colonel turned. With caution, he aimed his pistol.

"Give up, Colonel!" Travers demanded. "It's all over!"

Then, he received a kick in the abdomen from Erzenschwann before the latter drawed his pistol.

"Any last words?"

"Ugh...ugh..."

"Not talking, eh?"

A gunshot was aimed at the Colonel, which was later revealed to be Piña's doing.

"Nope, just you!" Travers replied defiantly.

He kicked the Colonel's legs before smacking him to the face. Erzenschwann got back quickly to his feet before landing blows at Travers. He began grabing his neck, threatening him to break Travers' neck.

"I have the upper hand!" Erzenschwann said in defiant.

"Uckhg...gguk..."

"What is it?"

"It's me!"

Travers grabbed hold of the P38 and fired gunshots at the colonel from behind. Bleeding, he fell to his death.

"Auf wiedersehen, Colonel!" Travers mocked.

Piña arrived to see Travers.

"Are you okay, my dear sir?" She asked.

"Yeah. How's Zorzal?"

"Gone...I killed him."

"I see."

Shortly after, they reached Patterson, Yao and Lelei.

"Travers, Piña, what happened?" Patterson asked.

"It's over." Travers declared. "Erzenschwann and Zorzal are dead."

"Whew!" Yao sighed. "At least the nightmare is gone."

"Indeed." Lelei agreed. "But now, we must put this dark chapter to a close."

"Blow it up and bury the entire base. Let's do this."

The team began placing Comp B charges at the fuel storage tanks aside from the rocket itself.

"Listen up, we have just fifteen minutes to get out of here before the charges explode." Patterson explained. "By the looks of it, we have to find a plane. And don't worry. I can read German."

As they ran outside the main building, Gallahand, Harvey, Tuka and Rory arrived with a truck.

"Get in!" Yao shouted.

"We found a plane we can use!" Gallahand explained "That's our ticket home!"

"Thank you for this." Patterson replied.

The truck began speeding towards the airfield where an intact Ju 52 cargo plane was waiting to be used.

"There it is!" Tuka said.

"Okay, be ready to get inside!" Patterson ordered.

After stopping, they disembarked and began entering the plane.

"That's it, just stay calm." Harvey said.

Suddenly, a few German Kubelwagens and motorbikes arrived to stop the take-off.

"Guys, we have company!" Yao warned before Travers, Tuka, Gallahand, Harvey and Piña opened fire at them.

The firefight promped Travers to throw his last Gammon grenade.

"Gammon grenade out!" Travers shouted before throwing it to the moving vehicles. It exploded, forcing them to crash.

Panache then began to do a pass to eliminate the other pursuing German vehicles.

"All clear! Now get out of here!" Panache said on the radio. "We'll cover you!"

"Let's go!" Gallahand shouted.

The plane began taxiing to the runway and after, it powered it's way to the air. The passengers saw the base one more time before Panache and Heimerich arrived to escort them home.

"Lieutenant, glad you are safe." Heimerich said in relief.

"Thanks, Captain." Patterson replied. "Let's go home."

The planes then reached a safe altitude as they head for home. Minutes after, the charges detonated, exploding the fuel and the warhead. A large explosion that is equal to 20 blockbuster bombs was shown followed by a few magic patterns. Almost immediately, the shockwaves and the noise reached the planes, shaking them moderately.

"Uargh! Just hold on!" Patterson said as the team began braving through the shockwaves and the noise.

Once they are gone, they can see the explosion.

"Wow!" Lelei said with awe.

"At least it wasn't used." Rory followed. "Finally."

The team smiled.

 **(Italica - 0615 hrs.)**

When the planes landed, the sunrise greeted the team and the two Jaguar Squadron pilots.

"Look guys, sun's showing up." Travers said and they see the scenery.

"It's beautiful." Piña followed before holding on to Travers' hand.

"Well guys, looks like our job is done." Gallahand declared. "Whew!"

Then, Colonel Balton showed up.

"Am I ruining the moment?" He asked.

"No worries, sir." Harvey assured. "Our mission is complete."

"Good, because I have some info to show."

"Anything good today?" Rory asked.

"Turns out we have some Krauts who didn't show up at Mount Qual and they may start organizing some resistance. But it's only a matter of time before we got rid of them. Since you took care of Erzenschwann, you people deserve two weeks off."

"Thanks for the news, sir." Patterson said before his team and Balton saluted at each other.

"I'll see you in a while." Balton then left.

"Boyd, you did a good job back there." Patterson congratulated. "I'm proud."

"Thanks, Lieutenant."

"We still have each other." Gallahand said. "Count on it."

"It's an honor fighting alongside you." Harvey said. "Let's hope we can keep it up."

"Thanks, guys."

"I think the world can call you a 'hero', now that the Germans have already lost." Rory commented. "Just so you know. Hehe."

"Sir Travers, the scrolls of history will remember your actions from this day forward." Yao followed. "Thank you for your help."

"Like what she said." Lelei echoed. "Thanks to you, I can explore and share the knowledge I gathered. Your two weeks off will aid me in my efforts."

"Count me in, too." Tuka declared. "Travers, I'll come with you."

"So do I." Piña followed. "Travers, lead the way."

Travers began expressing his cool attitude.

"We will."

The team then continued seeing the sun shine.

 **XXXXXXX**

 **(Memoir - Written in September 3, 1945)**

 _The day when the threat of the Germans in the Special Region finally came to an end. With the Nazis out, the people there can rest easily. So do we. We managed to get some much-needed rest especially for some guys like me who took part in Europe. But there are things that changed._

 _On the third day of our time off, we received word from the OSS that Piña is about to be crowned Empress by the will of Emperor Molt and we witnessed the event three days after. Then, almost immediately, she abdicated the throne and decided to stay with me. Even before that, she devised a plan to unify the nations into one big entity to represent all. Molt also changed and vowed not to conduct cruel acts again. News of this development reached the refugees and they responded positively. To them, the days of living in fear is over._

 _When we returned from our tour, the war is over. The Japanese lost their pre-war possessions and on August 15th, declared unconditional surrender. It was a relief. Now we can all go home and spend most of our lives living peaceful lives. It will take time to fix both worlds but in the end, it will all be worth the sacrifice. We may have lost those close to us, but we made new ones as a result. Their memories will not be forgotten._

 **XXXXXXX**

 **(Sadera - September 3, 1945, 0901 hrs.)**

A celebration was happening within the city as a victory parade was staged. Tanks, horses and vehicles led by Borealis moved through the streets as the citizens waved the flags of the Allied Powers, the men in green who fought for freedom. Representatives and leaders of all countries and species also joined in. In the air, the flight of Allied aircraft soared overhead.

In a C-47, Travers was picked to lead the paradrop along with his friends.

"Feels like we have a beautiful morning, isn't it guys?" Travers asked.

"Hell yes! Let's stage more of these and send a photo to the Russians." Gallahand agreed.

"Just one parade." Harvey happily rebuked. "They wouldn't believe that."

As the lights turned red, Travers began to signal his allies.

"Travers, now's your queue!" Patterson said.

"Thanks, sir!"

He began to stand up towards the left side of the exit.

"Get ready! Stand up!"

The team stood up.

"Hook up!"

The team then attached their static lines.

"Travers, we're with you!" Tuka declared.

"We promised!" The girls followed.

Travers nodded before a green light was lit.

"Go, go, go!"

One by one, they got out of the aircraft to slowly land at the square below. After that, only Tuka and Travers remained.

"Wanna go first?" Tuka asked.

"Just go ahead. I'll catch up." Travers answered.

"Okay then." Tuka then got out.

Travers stood by the exit while thinking of something.

"The door to a bright future has been opened."

He jumped out of the aircraft before his parachute is deployed.

 **(71 years later)**

 **(Camp Ederle - June 18, 2016, 0632 hrs.)**

A United States Army MH-60 Blackhawk was flying towards the base carrying special forces units after completing their mission. As well, the broadcast of a music radio station calmed those at the base with some fresh beats.

"Gooood moorrrrnniiinnngg fellow soldiers, how's the coffee doing at your table? I'm thinkin' that it's still freshly-brewed." The DJ greeted humorously. "But I have some freshly-baked beats ready to be served to all for breakfast."

Once it landed, the soldiers disembarked carrying their belongings with them. Among them is a soldier with a slight hue of red hair. Then, an officer from the Central Intelligence Agency arrived on the scene.

"Good morning, Lieutenant Travers." The officer greeted.

"Good morning, sir." Travers replied with a salute.

"Sorry to interrupt but I have something to show you behind the scenes."

"What is it, sir?"

"Just follow me and bring along your belongings. We have to talk."

The two then walked towards the building.

"My boy, you are going to be surprised by what you will see today." The offiicer assured Travers. "We have a lot of work to do."

"It's no problem for me and the guys. Don't sweat."

"Okay then."

After a few moments, they entered the building.

 _A/N: That's it for this fanfic. I hope you enjoy the action I layed ouf for you to see. I'll take a hiatus for a while, but I'll be back for some more adventures. Review, favorite and share._

 _To those defending freedom, Godspeed._

 _Paomayo, over and out._


	20. Chapter 20 - To Honor The Heroes

**(New York - September 27, 1945, 0702 hrs.)**

War, a word that is used to describe the situation that gripped the world in fear, suspicion, hate and anxiety. After less than six years of heavy and intense fighting, the Allies has risen to victory to overcome the evils and the odds the Axis powers has presented, from Poland to Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Among the handful of heroes who returned, the veterans of the OSS that came from their assignment in the Special Region returned home along with a couple of visitors.

As the ship that carried them arrived on port, Travers and his friends were welcomed by the sights of the tall buildings, known as 'skyscrapers' in engineering terms.

"Home." Travers uttered. "We're finally back."

The girls were both shocked and impressed by the sights more than their first visit in this world in Regensburg.

"I can't believe my eyes!" Tuka expressed her excitement. "They can make tall buildings that high?"

"Surely." Lelei answered. "Their economic success spurred them to build these as a symbol of their power. That's what Travers said before."

"Now, I feel like our world is being dwarfed by their engineering." Piña commented. "Those builders must have been skilled enough to do that."

"Never mind about those." Rory told them. "As long as we are visiting, we will cherish these moments."

"Couldn't agree more." Yao nodded.

Gallahand went to Travers for a talk.

"What are you going to do now, Travers?" He asked. "Now that the war's over and the OSS dissolved, I think we should look for something else to do."

"I don't know. Maybe look for a job, another hobby, who knows."

"Guess so. And what about your family?"

"Oh, right." Travers remembered while getting a letter from his family. "My brothers returned home early and they are expecting me to join them. They are nice folks so the girls will get a warm welcome."

"By the way, what division were your brothers assigned?"

"101st Airborne. When they returned to their barracks, they wrote to me how they were captured back at Bastogne..."

"...only to be freed by me and my team." Harvey continued.

"Why didn't you tell me about this?"

"Sometimes, save some moments for last. I wanted to let you know the moment we arrived in New York."

"I see. Thank you for rescuing them." Travers thanked Harvey.

"No problem." Harvey replied. "Gallahand, almost forgot something."

"Anything good?" Gallahand asked.

"Yeah." He began taking out a letter for Gallahand before the latter opened it.

"I can't believe it. I have kids!"

"Congratulations, you are now a father."

"I'll be seeing my sweetheart Shirley when I get back. Anyway, a visit to Travers' home will refresh us. Guys, try to visit Memphis anytime for some BBQ back at my place."

"Okay, we'll be there." Travers agreed.

Once the gangplank was attached to the parked ship, the paseengers and their belongings disembarked. Patterson was looking for the cars to take them to the Travers residence.

"Travers."

"Sir...I mean, Jim."

"Mind if you take the lead car to your home?" Patterson requested. "Only you know where it is."

"I know where. I'll write down the address on a paper. I'll give the guys the same as well."

"Good."

After entering the cars, they drove through the busy streets of New York on their way to Travers' house in New Rochelle. As they move along, the girls continued seeing the sights as advertisements, neon signs, traffic and large crowds dominate the scene. All, except the latter, were not found in the Special Region.

"Travers, those carts have no horses to move." Rory told him. "They are like the ones found back in Alnus, correct?"

"Yeah." He agreed. "All thanks to a guy named 'Henry Ford.'"

"Oooooohhhh."

"Speaking of which, the people here are calm and cheerful today." Lelei commented. "They are walking around for something. Are they heading for work?"

"Most people, yes. Some of the people will spend time with their families for a while after the war ended like us. A little relaxation wouldn't hurt."

"I see."

Tuka was optimistic about the visit.

"Travers, about your family..."

"Don't worry." He assured her. "If anything happens, I'll protect you."

"Thank you for those words, but I was asking if they are nice."

"Well, we value others and their needs and treat them compassionately like how we treat our family members. In other words, we learn to accept them as if they are a family to us."

"You remind me of the time you rescued me from that well back at my village." She said. "Without you and your friends, I could have died alone."

"No worry. We made it this far."

Tuka smiled after hearing those words.

 **(Travers' Residence, New Rochelle, New York - 1142 hrs.)**

The cars arrived at the house and Travers decided to go out and open the door to see his family reunited once more. He slowly walked towards the door before ringing the doorbell.

"Hello? It's me, Boyd!"

For a few moments, there is no response. Then, someone shouted in reply.

"Boyd? Is that you?"

"Mom? I'm here now."

The door slowly opened to see a middle-aged lady wearing her everyday clothing. Surprised, she stood still for a moment before hugging.

"Thank God you've returned!" She joyfully said to his son.

"I've promised I'll come home alive."

Shedding some tears of joy, she didn't hesitate to call the other family members.

"Jarrod, boys, he came!"

"Hannah, you sure?" Boyd's father asked.

"Yes!"

Soon, Travers' father and brothers saw him with joy. The family hugged their son.

"Guys, I can't believe you are waiting for me." Travers greeted.

"We were worried that you didn't live after your extension of your service." His father told him. "But now that you are here, the long wait is over."

"Thanks, dad."

Then, he looked at the cars waiting for him. He signaled his friends to come to the house.

"Now's our cue." Gallahand uttered. "Guys, let's go."

The team exited the cars to meet the Travers family.

"Mrs. Travers, Mr. Travers, I'm Lieutenant James Steven Patterson from the Army." Patterson introduced himself. "Your son, Boyd, displayed valor in the face of the enemy and he has accomplished his assignment with full dedication."

"Thank you, sir." Mr. Travers replied. "Come inside, let's celebrate his return."

They then entered the house.

"Your family is kind enough to invite us inside, Travers." Yao commented. "Thank you for showing."

"Welcome, Yao." Travers replied. "Let's go."

Yao nodded.

 **(1311 hrs.)**

The food was prepared with some help and everyone began eating at the backyard. While doing that, Tuka took some hesitation which concerned Mrs. Travers.

"Tuka, feeling okay?" Mrs. Travers asked. "You look a bit unwell."

"Nah, I was just remembering what happened back at my village." Tuka answered. "Your son was just doing what is right."

"Did something bad happened?"

"Yes. I've lost my family and everyone else I knew."

"I'm sorry for your loss." She apologized.

"It's okay. I'm already rebuilding my life now."

"I'm glad to hear it."

Mrs. Travers began looking at the other girls who are still eating.

"They're your friends, right?"

"Yes. The one with the red hair is a princess."

"What!? An actual princess?"

"Uh...yes."

"I can't believe I have a royal guest here!" She was excited.

"But she's not a royal anymore. She renounced her status." Tuka corrected her.

"Oh."

Meanwhile, the veteran soldiers were having some time to talk about themselves.

"Ed, this here is Harvey." Travers introduced his teammate to one of his brothers. "He's my colleague and the guy who led the rescue."

"I can't believe it's you." Ed reacted. "Thanks for stopping by."

"No problem." Harvey replied. "Your brother is kind enough to treat us at his place."

"Anyway, what happened back at Bastogne?"

"Out of bullets, lots of Jerries, everything that put the odds of survival to the lowest." Ed explained. "At least we are captured and after some time in a POW camp, Harvey came and freed us."

"Okay, then."

"Speaking of which, where do those girls came from?"

"I won't tell you much, but the redhead took some interest in me."

"Falling in love, eh?"

"Sorta."

"Come on, guys, there are still some food left." Their brother, Owen, interrupted. "You can talk about love and girls later. Remember, they are visiting."

"He's right." Harvey agreed. "We still have to show full respect."

Boyd and Ed decided to agree.

"I got some tickets for the theatre. Wanna come? My girl's coming."

"No thanks." Travers declined. "I'll just pass and do some other stuff."

After eating, Rory was curiously looking at the stuff which are unfamiliar to them. One of the things that caught her eye is a large wooden box with the top part folded fowards towards the walls. It also has a small, non-transparent window of darkness and a couple of handles that look like buttons.

"What kind of contraption is this?" She wondered. "How does this work?"

"My dear, that thing is called a 'television.'" Mr. Travers explained.

"Ummm...'te-le-vi-sion.'" She repeated the word. "What does it do?"

"It shows moving pictures on a screen right here. Not many people have these, especially when the government stopped production from the start of the war."

"Oh."

Meanwhile, Lelei was looking at some photo albums of the family. Aside from some old items like a hat, what caught her eye is some photographs of Boyd's father during the Great War, based on the uniform he is wearing at the time.

"Boyd, Yao, come over here." She requested.

"You saw something, Lelei?" Yao asked.

"I see you are interested in my father's photos." Travers said.

"Well, after seeing his hat and the photos over here, I was wondering that your family has a history during wartime."

"Well...my father in the photo was taken after the Battle of Saint-Mihiel." He explained. "The men with him are his allies and the battle was well-coordinated."

"So, everything went by fast?"

"Somewhat fast, in just three days."

"Three days?! That's, indeed, fast. Travers, I would like to see the other photos for myself." Yao requested.

"We got plenty of them to see."

"Thank you, Travers."

Yao began looking at some of the other photos.

"There is nothing much but I do found a photo of the men preparing for battle. At least they know they might lose their lives just to protect others."

"Yeah. Sometimes, freedom is worth losing their lives for."

Piña and Tuka were looking at some newspapers the family kept as mementos of a turbulent time.

"What you see here are newspaper articles of what happened in the years of war." Mrs. Travers explained. "Although they are old, we decided to keep these for authenticity and to show future generations the time we felt."

"Thank you for showing these, Mrs. Travers." Piña said while reading one pertaining to V-E Day. "I now know what's going on thanks to the papers."

"That paper concerns the time of the end of war in Europe. At the time of printing, we are still fighting the Japanese in the Pacific. It took a while but it ended as well." She continued while showing another paper with the declaration of V-J Day.

"How long has that lasted?" Tuka asked. "The war against Japan?"

"From December 1941 to last month, August 1945. At one point of that month, we've read the news of the use of a weapon."

"What kind of weapon?" Piña asked.

Mrs. Travers was having some hesitation to answer due to the nature of the event. She then showed the girls another newspaper article.

"An atomic bomb." She answered. The girls were concerned about it.

"What is an 'atomic bomb?'" She asked.

"You see, as what the headline said, it's a weapon designed to level cities with a single bomb dropped. I got the meaning of what we did so I decided to volunteer and help the people over there. Even though they are enemies, there are still some good folks who needs our help."

"I...I...I understand." Tuka said "Maybe I can invite Travers to help."

"You are a sweet girl. Thank you for looking after my son."

"You're welcome." Tuka smiled back.

"Count me in, too." Piña volunteered. "Travers even took concern of what's happening back on our world. He, too, will risk his life to save others."

"Thank you, for hearing my words." Mrs. Travers replied. "By the way, Tuka also told me of you being a princess."

"That's before. Now, I decided to live with Travers."

"You sure about your kingdom? Someone has to lead the people to a prosperous future."

"I chose to remain here on my own free will. I already figured out who's going to lead while I'll be here. A nation that will represent all of the people in our continent will be formed."

Mrs. Travers' concern was finally gone before smiling in agreement. As the group continued to tell their stories, calmness does the same.

 **(1923 hrs.)**

As nightfall came, the last dinner of the celebration was set. Everyone stood silent to thank the meal as well as to listen to a few words from Travers.

"Good evening, everyone. I know that this will be the last time we will celebrate the return of our family members from the front lines together but...there is still times we will return to see each other again. I would like to thank you people for being with each other, Patterson, Gallahand, Harvey, Tuka, Lelei, Rory, Piña and Yao. If we have the chance to return to the other side one more time, I'm joining it."

Those that are part of the team unanimously raised their hands. Travers smiled in reply.

"Thank you, everyone."

"Let's eat!" Rory declared.

"C'mon, Rory! Leave some for us, will ya?" Gallahand pleaded.

"She's just excited." Lelei responded. "Just let her be herself every once in a while."

As the feast began, Tuka caught Travers' attention requesting him to follow to the front yard. When the two reached there, Tuka has some words to say.

"Uhm...Boyd..."

"Anything you want to say, Tuka?" He asked.

"The moment we first met, I feel like you are a brother to me and someone who showed concern as well. During my time in Alnus, I was waiting for your return and smiled the moment you are alright. Now that we are here, I would like to ask if I can remain here."

Travers hesitated for a moment to understand her permission.

"Sure. You are more than welcomed to the family."

Tuka was filled with joy before Patterson showed up.

"We were wondering where are you going since you took off a while ago." He said to them.

"Nothing's bad happening, Jim." Travers answered. "Tuka just asked if she wants to stay here."

"Hummm. I'm good to hear that. Anyway, let's get inside. I have a few things to show that I didn't reveal for the trip."

They went back inside the house.

"Listen, ever since the OSS is dissolved, a new office was quickly established to specifically handle issues related to the Special Region. Called the 'Joint Special Region Operations Office' or JSROO for short."

"That's good to hear." Travers sighed.

"They'll give you a letter if they ever need you again. You are currently the only one who can interact extensively with royalties."

"Jim, I'll be with him as well." Tuka said. "My village has some history of fighting due to hatred and I believe there is a way to get out of this."

"Your idea is also welcomed. Alright, let's go back. Don't wanna waste the time of getting to know each other more."

Patterson left to meet up with the others.

"Tuka, guess we'll be on our way again, eh?" Boyd said to her.

"Yeah." Tuka nodded.

The two hold their hands like a brother and sister before heading back to the backyard.

 _A/N: Alright, the fanfic is supposed to be done by chapter 19 but I decided to add a special chapter dedicated to life after the war. Also, I'm also writing in memory for people we've lost, whether in war or not._

 _Godspeed._


End file.
